Brazen drug runner posed for selfie in judge's wig

Kareen Bagnall, 22, posted the picture of her in the wig to her Facebook page with the comment: "One day."

She was first arrested in January after police found her and her mother Anthea with the stash in her car in Birmingham.

The pair from Welshpool were jailed for nine years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at Birmingham Crown Court this week.

Kareen had been on bail when the picture of her staring at the camera in the wig was posted on her page.

One friend even commented: "Good for u! And you actually look good in the wig!"

The pair had been drug runners in a huge crime syndicate across the Midlands which supplied heroin, crack cocaine and guns.

Known as 'County Lines', the gang of 10 was imprisoned for more than 60 years in total following the joint operation between West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and the National Crime Agency.

Ringleader Mohammed Rafiq Khan, 29, of Colonial Road, Bordesley Green, was detained at Shrewsbury train station in February where he was found in possession of five mobile phones, over £1,500 in cash and tickets to Dubai.

Investigations revealed more than 100 calls per day were made using Khan's line to drug users in Welshpool, Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

Joel Martin, 31, of Little Hall Road, Nechells, was also part of Khan's drug dealing network and was arrested in possession of wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

Officers searched his home address and found approximately £15,000 worth of drugs.

Further enquiries then led police to Birmingham man Mark Jones who was found with bags of heroin he was storing for Khan.

Together with Michael Harkin, Khan had also distributed weapons around the region.

A total of 14 sawn-off shotguns were recovered and more than 5kg of Class A drugs were distributed through the illegal operations.

Harkin and his partner Lucy Wilkie were both arrested last October after officers searched their home in South Yardley and recovered three sawn-off shotguns.

A further search conducted at the address of acquaintances Vineeta Kainth and Mark Adkins resulted in the recovery of component parts, including sawn-off barrels and ammunition.

On January 16 this year, armed officers stopped the vehicle Booth was driving and recovered 10 sawn-off shotguns and 250 cartridges in the boot.

A search of Booth's business premises and home address in Ashbourne revealed a workshop and equipment used to shorten shotgun barrels and stocks.

Numerous cut barrels were found, suggesting this had been an ongoing criminal enterprise.

Det Insp James Mahon, from the West Midlands Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "This was a complex investigation but has led to significant prison sentences and illegally held guns and drugs being removed from the streets.

"These converted sawn off shotguns had the potential to be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, while drugs can ruin lives and communities."