14 November 2025 , 13:57
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A drug lord who operated a successful cocaine and heroin empire with his money-laundering girlfriend while they enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in Thailand has been sentenced to prison.
Vejay Samuels, 30, managed his lucrative criminal enterprise from the UK while living extravagantly on the run from law enforcement nearly 6,000 miles away.
The court heard how Samuels and his partner Hannah Cwynar, 33, led a lavish lifestyle, spending on luxurious apartments and expensive activities. Photos depict Samuels driving a speedboat and swimming with elephants during his eight-month period in Thailand before the police dismantled his drug operation.
Detectives discovered that he was the mastermind behind the conspiracy that inundated Nottingham’s streets with thousands of pounds’ worth of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and cannabis.
The gang utilized two dedicated drug phone lines to distribute Class A and Class B drugs they obtained from Yorkshire throughout the city, between August 2022 and November 2023.
Samuels was in charge throughout the entire conspiracy, including several months in 2023, when he sustained his leading role while fleeing in Thailand. He managed to access his unlawful profits undetected after funds were funneled to him through the bank accounts of Cwynar and his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Franklyn, 30.
In January last year, on his birthday, he was arrested back in England after Nottinghamshire Police were able to identify several key members of his network.
Samuels, from Top Valley, Nottingham, was sentenced to 14 years at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (Wed) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs.
His partner Cwynar, from Derby, admitted to money laundering for her boyfriend and received a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Technology & Business Editor