How desperate Love Island stars & Netflix influencers are ‘being groomed’ as glam drug mules to fund lavish lifestyles
PLASTERING their glamorous lifestyles all over social media, influencers do a great job of keeping up appearances – but funding luxury holidays and shopping trips can lead internet stars down a dark path.
Some have found themselves shockingly lured into drug rings and paying the ultimate price after being caught travelling through airports laden with narcotics.
Last week, glamorous drug mules Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both 30 and from Blackburn, appeared in court after being caught with more than £160k worth of cannabis concealed in their suitcases as they landed back in the UK from New York.
On Wednesday, sitting side by side in the dock, the pair held hands and sobbed as the court heard how they had attempted to bring the drugs into the UK in 2023.
They told officers they’d been on a three-day shopping trip to the Big Apple, but text messages between them later revealed they had become involved in a plot to import cannabis – and expected to make a lot of money from their exploits.
The jet-setters, who share over 55,000 followers between them, posted pictures online of nights out, shopping trips and lavish holidays – but were lucky to get away with a suspended sentence.
Taking to social media after walking free from the dock, Bannister said: “Thank you for the people who have stood by us [during] truly the most mentally and emotionally challenging times of our life.
“Fifteen months of torture. Huge lessons learnt. A lot of tears along the way. But stood by each other’s side no matter what…”
After the court case, Bannister told The Mirror how the pair were targeted through social media, asking if they would like to travel to New York for Christmas.
She claimed: “We got approached on Instagram by a girl I’d met in Marbella.
“She asked if we wanted to travel to New York around Christmas. All we had to do was bring some watches back.”
Bannister also revealed she had been vulnerable at the time, trying to pull herself out of debt after her move to Dubai went wrong, while Whalley claimed to have been experiencing problems at home.
“We were stupid, naïve and vulnerable,” added Bannister.
PR expert Joseph Hagan, director of Streamline PR, told The Sun there is growing pressure on influencers to keep up with their lavish lifestyles.
He said: “The pressure is there, especially for those who rise to fame through reality TV, to maintain a certain lifestyle that appears glamorous and aspirational.
“Many feel they need to showcase designer wardrobes, luxury holidays, and an ‘always on’ social life, because that’s what they believe their audience wants to see.”
Glamorous drug mules
Last year, a star from dating show Too Hot to Handle became one of the latest celebrities to be arrested for smuggling.
Olga Bednarska, 27, received a 20-month suspended sentence after being caught at Manchester Airport with 40kg of cannabis worth £150,000 after carrying it from Thailand.
The court heard Bednarska had “lived beyond her means” so resorted to crime to wipe her debt.
She agreed to fly to Thailand on an all-expenses-paid trip to export designer items out of the country in return for £18,000.
Magdalena Sadlo, 30, who appeared on the Polish version of Love Island, pleaded guilty to playing a role in a £53 million drug smuggling operation after buying Louis Vuitton bags, a £130,000 Patek Philippe watch, and a £30,000 Rolex.
Sadlo was seized by police after flying from Heathrow to Dubai and pleaded guilty to drug smuggling earlier this year.
Prosecutor Tim Evans told one hearing the drugs operation was “truly-massive”.
He added: “This is Amazon-style drug-dealing with that level of organisation and commerciality about it.”
Other showbiz personalities have become involved in smuggling dirty cash rather than drugs, with police recently busting a £104m ring involving Joe Calzaghe’s ex.
Kim Kardashian lookalike Tara Hanlon, 31, from Leeds, was jailed for nearly three years in 2021 after being caught taking around £2 million from the UK to Dubai as part of the criminal conspiracy.
Videos Hanlon took showing the spoils of the smuggling were published last year after her co-conspirators, including Jo-Emma Larvin, 44, and Beatrice Auty, 26, were also convicted.
Top-tier influencers
PR expert Joseph Hagan revealed only a handful of influencers are earning enough cash through online posts and TV appearances to fund their lavish lifestyles.
He says: “What’s often overlooked is that only a small percentage of influencers are actually making enough money to sustain that lifestyle long-term.
“The reality is, most are earning far less than people think.
“While top-tier influencers can command anything from £3,000 to over £20,000 for a single post, the vast majority, especially ex-reality stars, might only be securing a few hundred pounds per collaboration.
“With the influencer space becoming so saturated, many former TV personalities find themselves in a tough position.
“Brands tend to favour creators who’ve genuinely captured the attention of the nation, leaving limited opportunities for others.
In some cases, that’s when desperation kicks in, and the temptation to make fast money through illegal means becomes a real risk.
Joseph Hagan
“Alternatively, brands go the route of working with smaller creators to maximise budgets and target specific audiences.
“That creates a kind of limbo, where someone might not be making consistent money from social media anymore but feels too publicly known to return to a ‘normal’ 9-5 job.
“In some cases, that’s when desperation kicks in, and the temptation to make fast money through illegal means becomes a real risk.
“It’s a stark reminder that the influencer economy isn’t all it seems, and the pressure to keep up appearances can have serious consequences.”
Dr Emma Cunningham, Criminal Lecturer and Criminologist at the University of East London, told The Sun that while it’s no excuse to commit a crime, women can be vulnerable to drug gangs.
She says: “We are aware that internationally, women are imprisoned worldwide for drug-related offences more than for any other crime.
“We need to be mindful that their involvement in the drug trade tends to be at the most precarious point, as drug ‘mules’ transporting and attempting to bring drugs into countries rather than as the heads of drug cartels.
“While not excusing these women, we need to be aware that often they may have vulnerabilities which would make the risk of moving drugs appear to be a potentially easy way to earn money, especially where alternatives to earning money are limited.”
True-crime psychologist Emma Kenny also believes “glamorous female influencers” are targeted because they are “easily” identified as expressing a desire for more financial stability or adventure.
She says: “Recruiters often reach out via direct messages, offering sponsorships, brand deals, or paid trips.
“These initial offers could be legitimate or semi-legitimate, designed to build trust before introducing illicit proposals.
“Criminal organisations prey on financial pressures or the desire for quick money.
“They may dangle large sums for a single trip, making it seem like an easy gig with minimal effort.
Female drug smuggling hotspot
Globally, women account for approximately 10% of drug-related arrests.
Latin America stands out as a hotspot for female drug mule activity, with some countries reporting over 60% of their female prison population are incarcerated for drug offences, primarily as mules.
This stark reality reflects the socio-economic vulnerabilities that disproportionately affect women in the region.
The primary drivers behind women becoming drug mules are often rooted in economic hardship. Poverty, lack of opportunities, and the pressing need to provide for their families are often cited as compelling reasons.
Beyond economic pressures, coercion and deception also play a significant role.
Traffickers exploit women’s vulnerabilities, sometimes luring them with false promises of easy money or manipulating them through emotional ties.
Some women are even tricked into carrying drugs without their knowledge, becoming unwitting participants in the illegal trade.
Drug mules employ various methods to transport illicit substances, each carrying its own set of risks.
“Ingestadas” ingest drug packages, while “envainadas” conceal them on their bodies. These methods pose severe health dangers, particularly internal carrying, which can lead to package rupture and fatal overdose.
“Influencers often feel compelled to continuously display an aspirational life – luxury travel, designer goods, exclusive events.
“Some influencers may be unaware of, or underestimate, the severity and legal consequences of drug smuggling.
“The ‘it won’t happen to me’ mindset is reinforced by the influencer’s outward social status. They may believe that border agents are less likely to suspect a glamorous young traveller.
“The same traits that lead someone to constantly push boundaries and craft ‘extreme’ or ‘glamorous’ social media content – impulsivity, sensation-seeking, a taste for adrenaline – can make them more prone to risky or illegal endeavours.”