Grandmother, son jailed for drugs and illegal lending

A 65-year-old grandmother and her son were sentenced to prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday for their roles in a heroin and crack cocaine supply operation and an illegal money-lending scheme that charged interest rates of up to 100 percent.

Carole Lowe received 39 months in jail after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine, as well as participating in regulated money-lending activities without authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority. Her 43-year-old son, Seng Lowe, was jailed for 40 months after admitting to conspiracy to supply the drugs. The court heard that Carole Lowe had operated the unlicensed lending business from November 2018 to March 2025, making around 5,000 loans totaling £240,000 to at least 50 borrowers and collecting £363,000 in repayments, for a profit exceeding £100,000. Interest began at 50 percent and rose to 100 percent, with added penalties for late payments. Borrowers reported threats to enforce repayment, and Lowe collected debts by driving to their locations in her black BMW.

The pair's activities overlapped in the Wirral area of Merseyside. Seng Lowe controlled a four-month drug line known as the "Seng Line"...