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A former Love Island contestant is facing jail after being caught smuggling cocaine in a drugs operation worth an estimated £53m.
Magdalena Sadlo, 29, appeared on the Polish incarnation of the hit reality TV show in 2021 when she was introduced as one of the Casa Amor bombshells – designed to tempt the male contestants away from their prospective partners.
She pled guilty to transporting the Class A drug between March 2022 and May 2023 at Carlisle Crown Court this month.
The maximum penalty for this offence is up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Sadlo was caught in an investigation codenamed Operation Matrix after flying into London’s Heathrow Airport from Dubai.
While appearing on Love Island, Saldo described herself as a “spontaneous, self-confident blonde who you can count on” and bragged that she had previously “stolen” someone’s partner before.
But her stint on the show was short-lived after viewers took umbrage with her “scary lips”.
Saldo’s LinkedIn page said she worked in sales until earlier this year when she co-founded a luxury yacht rental company in Dubai in January.
Describing itself as a “one-stop shop for all boat rental and events”, it claimed to provide “Hospitality & VIP Experiences”.
“From birthdays that sparkle on the sea to picture-perfect proposals, intimate engagement parties, sophisticated dinner soirées, to high-stakes corporate gatherings – we captain it all!” its website read.
Saldo described herself on LinkedIn as having “a passion for looking after clients”.
The former reality TV star, who was previously said to live at an address in Bracknell, Berkshire, will be sentenced later this year.
Nine men who were also involved in the drug operation were sentenced to over 106 years in prison in March after admitting to conspiracy to supply the Class A substance.
Manchester Evening News reports that the majority of them were from the city.
While the maximum sentence for smuggling a Class A drug is up to seven years in prison, supply and production offences carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said: “This is Amazon-style drug-dealing with that level of organisation and commerciality about it.”
The operation worth up to an estimated £53 million was uncovered when police seized a 1kg supply of cocaine in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District last February.
Saldo will remain in custody until her sentencing.
