A gaggle of Indian-origin males, together with a father-son duo, have been convicted of working what Scotland Yard described as a large-scale pretend prescription drugs medication manufacturing facility in west London.

The Metropolitan Police stated its Cyber Crime Unit led an investigation after it obtained intelligence from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) within the US that the boys have been promoting pharmaceutical medication on the darkish net.

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Allen Valentine, his son Roshan Valentine, and Roshan’s childhood buddy Krunal Patel have been discovered to be producing and promoting Benzodiazepines, a sort of sedative which is a Class C managed drug.

The police stated they made not less than GBP 3.5 million in illicit revenue with this operation. The trio additionally had a number of accounts on totally different darkish net markets and marketed the sale of Xanax, Diazepam and previously Valium.

“The three men ran a sophisticated, large-scale production of fake pharmaceutical drugs sold on the dark web that appeared to be genuine,” stated Detective Constable Alex Hawkins, of the Met Police’s Cyber Crime Unit, who led the investigation.

“Their operation was solely for the greed of those involved bearing no concern for the vulnerabilities of those purchasing these drugs. Some of the drugs contained completely different chemicals from those which should be in the genuine tablets; some of them are extremely dangerous,” he stated.

Hawkins stated the investigation led to the primary seizure of those chemical substances within the UK and laws will likely be amended later this 12 months to incorporate these medication below the Misuse of Drugs Act as Class A banned substances.

“Stopping the manufacturing of these drugs has removed a significant risk to the public. We would like to thank pharmaceutical companies Viatris and Teva UK for assisting the Met in our investigation and supporting our prosecution against these dangerous and fraudulent men,” 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.”

All three males have been charged with conspiracy to supply Class C medication and cash laundering offences in August final 12 months.

Krunal Patel, 40, and Roshan Valentine, 39, went on to plead responsible at Isleworth Crown Court earlier this 12 months whereas Allen Valentine, 62, pleaded not responsible to the medication offences and was discovered responsible this week following a trial on the similar courtroom.

Their fees embody conspiracy to supply, possess and provide managed medication of Class C, possessing a managed drug of Class C with intent to produce; conspiracy to promote trademarked items with out authorisation, conspiracy to make use of a registered trademark for labelling or packaging items with out authorisation, possession of articles designed to make unauthorised copies of registered emblems, and conspiracy to hide, convert or switch legal property.

All three will likely be sentenced at a later date and a confiscation listening to to legally receive their unlawful earnings will happen sooner or later.

“Our specialist Cyber Crime Unit are experts at infiltrating the sale of illegal items on the dark web. We work collaboratively with International Law Enforcement partners to ensure operations like this are stopped in their tracks,” said Detective Superintendent Helen Rance, who leads the Met Police Cyber Crime Unit.

The unit’s detectives began the investigation in January 2022 and, soon after, they discovered the three men were visiting a warehouse unit at Acton Business Park in west London.

It was from here that the drugs were produced, packaged and supplied. The men were operating under the guise of a company called Puzzle Logistics Limited which was formed in 2016, the Met Police said.

Each of the men visited the unit on a daily basis, often staying for much of the day. Krunal Patel would frequently leave with large bags, returning 10 to 15 minutes later without the contents of the bags.

Users would purchase the drugs on the dark web, paying in cryptocurrency, which was then posted.

The Met’s Cyber Crime Unit said it has detailed knowledge of the dark web and training in cryptocurrency, allowing them to efficiently progress the investigation.

Detectives utilised specialist cyber tactics to prove it was the Valentines and Patel who were making and selling the illegal substances.

They determined the three men converted GBP 3.5 million from cryptocurrency into fiat currency or pound sterling, and the accounts were frozen by police.

On August 17, 2022, Krunal Patel was arrested near the warehouse, with 15 parcels labelled for posting to addresses across the UK.

Inside those parcels were tablets imprinted “Xanax” and “Teva”, each model names for licensed medicines inside the Benzodiazepine group. Roshan and Allen Valentine have been arrested later that very same day. Officers searched the warehouse and located a hid laboratory the place a considerable amount of tools and several other containers of chemical substances have been found, together with quite a few crates of tablets manufactured on web site. The tablets have been analysed and located to comprise Class C medication from the Benzodiazepine group together with Deschloroetizolam, Flubromazepam, Bromazolam and Flualprazolam. The Met Police stated its enquiries are presently ongoing to confirm claims made by Allen Valentine to the jury that he was a physician with {qualifications} in pharmacy.