A 43-year-old woman from Liverpool has been jailed for 21 months after she was caught trying to smuggle suspected proceeds of drug crime out of Jersey.

Danielle Shields was intercepted by customs officers at Jersey Airport with over £2,300 in cash, £800 in JD Sports vouchers, a receipt for a £2,100 Tag Heuer watch, and further money concealed internally.

Shields told officers she had travelled to the island on February 7, 2025, with only £20 and a bank card, claiming she was staying at the Royal Yacht Hotel. However, when preparing to leave Jersey the following day, she was stopped again and found to be carrying a large quantity of cash and luxury goods.

Package Linked to Drug Money

Among the items was a Jersey Post receipt for a package that, upon interception, was found to contain an empty Tag Heuer watch box and a receipt matching the one found on Shields.

In police interviews, she admitted to suspecting the money was linked to drug activity and confessed to making multiple previous trips—15 since December 2023—to collect and courier money to contacts in the North West.

“High Risk of Reoffending,” Court Told

Appearing before Jersey’s Royal Court, Lieutenant-Bailiff Anthony Olsen stated that Shields was a high risk of reoffending, adding:

“These are very serious offences. You knew or strongly suspected that you were dealing with the proceeds of the sale of illegal drugs.”

Shields’ defence said she was pressured into the activity and now deeply regrets her involvement.

Customs Official: “We Will Hit Them Where It Hurts”

Following sentencing, Paul Le Monnier, senior manager at the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said:

“The seizure of the proceeds of crime definitely hurts the pockets of those involved in criminality and helps prevent further importation of controlled drugs.
Officers will not only target drug importations but will actively control passengers and goods outbound to seize criminal proceeds.”