Drug gang made more than £20m selling fake 'Xanax' to fund lavish lifestyle
Three men have been jailed for their part in selling fake anxiety drugs over the dark web - in an operation worth more than £20 million.
Between 2014 and 2017, Marc Ward from Fratton, Christopher Kirkby from Bedford and Thomas Durden from Kent produced fake 'Xanax' which they then sold online to fund a lavish lifestyle.
An investigation started in 2016 when drug company Pfizer, which used to manufacture the drug, made a number of test purchases which identified Marc Ward as operating behind the Darknet vendor name ‘HulkedBenzoBoss’.
While operating as ‘HulkedBenzoBoss’, Ward supplied a minimum of 22,843 deals of the fake Xanax tablets and other Class C drugs.
What is Xanax?
When correctly prescribed, Xanax is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, however it is often abused by those seeking its sedative effects.
Although widely used legitimately in the United States of America, it is only available on private prescription in the UK.
Marc Ward was arrested in 2017 coming out of an address in Havant, Hampshire, on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug of Class C and on suspicion of money laundering.
While he was in custody, the gang began the process of closing down their ‘lab’ in a lock-up in Gravesend, Kent, in order to reinvent themselves on the Darknet, trading as AchlysUK.
Charlton Pascal entered the conspiracy under the control of Kirkby, and attended the ‘lab’ to collect items from Durden. Pfizer conducted a series of purchases and identified Pascal operating behind the Achlysuk identity.
A pill press was moved on 20 June 2017 to Shefford, Bedfordshire, and the following month, transferred to the control of John Gordon Turner in Devon.
South East Regional Organised Crime Unit searched properties of three of the group members and found cryptocurrency to the value of £1.3 million.
Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Neil Cripps said: "Their actions subsequently had a devastating impact on those who purchased the drugs for casual use and found themselves addicted to what are highly dangerous substances if not prescribed by a medical professional and used correctly.
"As with all illegal drugs, there is always an inherent danger to those who take them.
"Our five-year investigation has subsequently resulted in significant prison sentences for those whose sole aim was to profit from others’ misery."
Following the investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit Marc Ward, Charlton Pascal, Thomas Durden, Christopher Kirkby, and John Gordon Turner, pleaded guilty to conspiring together to supply Class C drug, Alprazolam at previous court hearings.
Ward was sentenced to five years in prison, Durden was sentenced to six years and five months, and Kirkby was sentenced to a total of nine years and six months.
Pascal and Turner will be sentenced in May.
Detectives are urging anyone who is aware of the supply of drugs in their community, to contact the local police force on the non-emergency number 101.