Gang who made and sold £3.5m of fake drugs on ‘dark web’ spark law change
A case in which three men who made more than £3.5million in cryptocurrency selling fake medication on the dark web has sparked a change in drug legislation.
Allen Valentine, 62 years old, his son Roshan Valentine 39 years old, and Roshan’s childhood friend Krunal Pate 40 were all involved in the production and sale of Benzodiazepines. This is a Class C sedative.
The gang made at least £3.5million in illicit profit.
The accounts were also on dark web marketplaces where they advertised the sale Xanax Diazepam, and Valium.
The Misuse of Drugs Act will be amended to include the drugs in Class A later this year.
Detective Constable Alex Hawkins, of the Metropolitan Police’s cyber crime unit, led the investigation. He said: “The three men ran a sophisticated, large-scale production of fake pharmaceutical drugs sold on the dark web that appeared to be genuine.
The operation was purely for greed and the benefit of the people involved, with no regard for the vulnerability of the purchasers of these drugs.
Hawkins stated that some of these drugs contained chemicals completely different from the ones found in the original tablets, and some were “extremely hazardous”.
“This is the first seizure of those chemicals in the UK and as such legislation will be amended later this year to include these drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act as Class A substances,” he said. “Stopping manufacturing of these medications has eliminated a significant public health risk.”
Hawkins thanked Viatris UK, Teva UK and other pharmaceutical companies who assisted his team in their investigation and supported the prosecution.
He added: “I’d urge anyone to seek medical advice and obtain a prescription for medication through a doctor. If you buy from the dark web there is no guarantee what is in the substances, as with this case.”
Cyber crime unit started an investigation when they received information from Drug Enforcement Administration in the US about the men selling fake pharmaceuticals on the dark internet.
Detectives found that the men were using an Acton Business Park warehouse in West London to produce, package and supply the drugs. The men were using a company named Puzzle Logistics Limited, which was founded in 2016.
The men were all there every day, staying most of the time.
Officers noticed that Patel often left the house with large bags only to return 10 to 15 mins later without them.
The dark web is where users buy drugs, pay in cryptocurrency and then receive them by post.
Hawkins claimed that the team’s knowledge of dark web technology and cryptocurrency training allowed them to efficiently progress the investigation.
The detectives used cyber-tactics to prove that it was Valentines and Patel making and selling illegal substances.
They determined the three men converted £3.5million from cryptocurrency into fiat currency (sterling).
Since then, the police have frozen all accounts.
Krunal patel was arrested on 17 August 2022 near the warehouse with 15 parcels labeled for mailing to UK addresses. Inside those parcels were tablets imprinted “Xanax” and “Teva”, both brand names for licensed medicines within the Benzodiazepine group. Roshan Valentine was arrested on the same day.
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Officers searched a warehouse and discovered a secret laboratory. A large amount of equipment, several containers of chemical substance and numerous crates with pills made on-site were found.
The pills tested positive for Class C drugs in the Benzodiazepine family, such as Deschloroetizolam Flubromazepam Bromazolam Flualprazolam.
Allen Valentine informed the jury that he is a pharmacist and a doctor.
Currently, we are conducting investigations to verify these claims.
On 19 August 2022, all three men were arrested and charged with conspiracy to manufacture Class C drugs as well as money laundering. They were then remanded into custody.
Patel and Roshan Valentin, both Middlesex residents, pleaded to different drug offenses at Isleworth Crown Court, in February.
Allen Valentine of Harrow also in Middlesex had pleaded not-guilty to the same offenses as his son and a friend but was found guilty by a jury after trial.
There is no date set for sentencing.
The confiscation hearing will be held to obtain the illegal profits.
Detective Superintendent Helen Rance who heads up the cyber crime unit said: “Our specialist cyber crime unit are experts at infiltrating the sale of illegal items on the dark web.
We work with international law enforcement partners to stop operations such as this.