Emily MacArthur, a 34-year-old woman who evaded justice for over three years, has been sentenced to 13 years and 11 months in prison for her role in a major drug trafficking operation and for failing to appear in court.
MacArthur, who had no fixed address, was originally due to be sentenced in April 2022 after pleading guilty to importing cocaine into the UK and smuggling drugs into prison. She fled before her sentencing, prompting a manhunt.
Her former partner and co-conspirator, Dennis Obasi, was jailed in November 2022 for 11 years and seven months for his role in the operation.
At her sentencing hearing at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, prosecutors revealed that MacArthur had exploited vulnerable women and teenagers to traffic drugs for her, all to fund a lavish lifestyle. She was also sentenced for additional offences, including:
Being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs (three counts)
Possession of criminal property
Failing to appear in court
The case against her was built after a January 2020 investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), which began when UK Border Force intercepted three parcels from Jamaica addressed to MacArthur at flats in Frome and Bristol. Hidden inside shipments of seasonings was cocaine with a street value of over £13,000.
Investigators uncovered tens of thousands of messages between MacArthur and Obasi detailing their drug operation. In one message, MacArthur expressed her desire to switch to dealing cocaine—referred to as “hard food”—because she needed £23,000 for a car and dreamed of a better home.
In a separate Metropolitan Police investigation, MacArthur was also implicated in the smuggling of Spice into UK prisons. She used fake legal letters, which prison staff are not permitted to open, to conceal the synthetic drug. Between February 2019 and March 2020, at least 40 fake legal letters were discovered in 11 different prisons, each containing between 25 to 50 sheets of Spice-infused paper.
In February 2020, police raided MacArthur’s home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, discovering a significant quantity of Spice and arresting both her and Obasi. Even after being released under investigation, the pair continued dealing drugs.
Eventually, the two were caught again by Thames Valley Police, who saw them dropping off two teenagers at a vulnerable man’s home, further illustrating their pattern of exploitation.
MacArthur managed to stay hidden for over three years, frequently using aliases and moving across the country. She was arrested in Belfast in June 2024.
Detective Constable Williams from SWROCU condemned her actions:
“Emily MacArthur exploited vulnerable people for her own financial gain. It was all about money and bettering her lifestyle. She tried hard to avoid being caught, but now it’s her turn to face justice for the harm she’s caused.”
