British Couple Arrested for Running Xanax Scam in Thailand

[webfact]

 

A British couple, Brian Pitts, 29, and Katie Harlow, 26, are poised to face lengthy prison terms for their roles in orchestrating a counterfeit Xanax operation from their luxury villa in Thailand.

 

The duo allegedly ran a thriving drug empire, distributing fake Xanax pills across the dark web from makeshift labs in the West Midlands, UK. Relatives and friends were also implicated in this multimillion-pound scheme, which saw over £4 million (roughly 185 million baht) worth of counterfeit pills sold online.

 

The bust followed a five-year investigation led by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which found the pills were dangerously mixed with other substances.

 

UK Regional Organised Crime Units worked together to bring the gang down, leading to ten arrests, including Pitts and Harlow. Pitts admitted to conspiracy to supply class C drugs and trademark offences, while Harlow pled guilty to money laundering.

 

Two other key gang members, Jordan Pitts, 25, and Bladen Roper, 24, were convicted on June 19 at Wolverhampton Crown Court for abetting the operation.

 

Police reports revealed massive profits were made between 2018 and 2019, laundered through Bitcoin transactions. A 2019 raid uncovered a production site in a shed in Tipton, featuring an industrial powder mixer. Another site in Wolverhampton housed a tablet press and handwritten recipe lists.

 

Detective Inspector Dave Hollies highlighted the scale of the operation, noting over two tonnes of bulking agents and 220 kilograms of active ingredients were purchased by the group. Evidence showed the counterfeit pills had a broad distribution range, reaching Europe and America.

 

The gang faces charges of conspiracy to supply class C drugs, trademark offences, and money laundering. Sentencing is due soon, according to reports from Daily Mail UK.

 

Xanax, a powerful tranquilizer for anxiety and panic disorders, isn't available on the NHS but can be prescribed privately in the UK.

 

TOP: Brian Pitts (L) and Katie Harlow (R). Picture courtesy: West Midlands Police via Brimingham Live

 

-- 2024-06-22

 

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[NickyLouie]

Quote

The bust followed a five-year investigation led by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer

 

 

LOL

[bkk6060]

DIsgusting people hope they enjoy their long prison sentences.

[stoner]

1 hour ago, NickyLouie said:

Quote

The bust followed a five-year investigation led by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer

 

 

LOL

 

i know right. can't have any competition cutting into corporate profits. 

[RSD1]

Brian Pitts, Ok, Brad's brother, to be expected. 

[chiman]

They looked relaxed... 

[harleyclarkey]

Ah good! I was wondering what happened to reports of Brits and their criminal activities. 

Thank you Brian and Katie - you've restored our faith in Brit crimmos!! 

 

Anyway...enjoy your extended time in Thailand in the lap of luxury. Luxury did I say that? 😂😂😂

[ezzra]

It took them a whole 5 years to uncover this scam of 2 kids dealing in drugs? can't say much for the slow and layback

ways those guys were investigating the case, maybe in their books it wasn't a priority, who nows?...

[CLUBBER]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

A British couple, Brian Pitts, 29, and Katie Harlow, 26, are poised to face lengthy prison terms for their roles in orchestrating a counterfeit Xanax operation from their luxury villa in Thailand.

 

The duo allegedly ran a thriving drug empire, distributing fake Xanax pills across the dark web from makeshift labs in the West Midlands, UK. Relatives and friends were also implicated in this multimillion-pound scheme, which saw over £4 million (roughly 185 million baht) worth of counterfeit pills sold online.

 

The bust followed a five-year investigation led by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which found the pills were dangerously mixed with other substances.

 

UK Regional Organised Crime Units worked together to bring the gang down, leading to ten arrests, including Pitts and Harlow. Pitts admitted to conspiracy to supply class C drugs and trademark offences, while Harlow pled guilty to money laundering.

 

Two other key gang members, Jordan Pitts, 25, and Bladen Roper, 24, were convicted on June 19 at Wolverhampton Crown Court for abetting the operation.

 

Police reports revealed massive profits were made between 2018 and 2019, laundered through Bitcoin transactions. A 2019 raid uncovered a production site in a shed in Tipton, featuring an industrial powder mixer. Another site in Wolverhampton housed a tablet press and handwritten recipe lists.

 

Detective Inspector Dave Hollies highlighted the scale of the operation, noting over two tonnes of bulking agents and 220 kilograms of active ingredients were purchased by the group. Evidence showed the counterfeit pills had a broad distribution range, reaching Europe and America.

 

The gang faces charges of conspiracy to supply class C drugs, trademark offences, and money laundering. Sentencing is due soon, according to reports from Daily Mail UK.

 

Xanax, a powerful tranquilizer for anxiety and panic disorders, isn't available on the NHS but can be prescribed privately in the UK.

 

TOP: Brian Pitts (L) and Katie Harlow (R). Picture courtesy: West Midlands Police via Brimingham Live

 

-- 2024-06-22

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Hope the have to do the time in a Thai prison instead of a UK one

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

DIsgusting people hope they enjoy their long prison sentences.

So will the two found in Thailand be sentenced in Thailand or sent back to the UK..

I bet they wish to be extradited.

 

[tubber]

Just now, hotchilli said:

So will the two found in Thailand be sentenced in Thailand or sent back to the UK..

I bet they wish to be extradited.

 

They were arrested on return to the Uk and tried in Wolverhampton Crown Court.

 

[hotchilli]

5 minutes ago, tubber said:

They were arrested on return to the Uk and tried in Wolverhampton Crown Court.

 

Thx

[cardinalblue]

What has thailand have to do with it other than this is where they were residing?

 

I guess this business operation was happening right under their noses and knew nothing about it 

 

this legal case is being handled in the west…the biggest question is how thailand handle extraditing them back to England to stand trail? Don’t they have to be found guilty first in a court of law 

 

silly for thailand to get involved legally…wash their hands of them as quickly as possible would be their best strategy 

[tubber]

1 minute ago, cardinalblue said:

What has thailand have to do with it other than this is where they were residing?

 

I guess this business operation was happening right under their noses and knew nothing about it 

 

this legal case is being handled in the west…the biggest question is how thailand handle extraditing them back to England to stand trail? Don’t they have to be found guilty first in a court of law 

 

silly for thailand to get involved legally…wash their hands of them as quickly as possible would be their best strategy 

They have already stood trial and been found guilty in the UK. They will be sentenced at a later date.

[ukrules]

35 minutes ago, CLUBBER said:

Hope the have to do the time in a Thai prison instead of a UK one

Were they not convicted in a British court?

[proton]

32 minutes ago, tubber said:

They were arrested on return to the Uk and tried in Wolverhampton Crown Court.

 

 

Suspended sentence then, UK prisons are full

[Tequila makes me happy]

Very enterprising for a couple who would have been 24 & 21 at the time.

Appears they would have gotten away with moving over 2 ton of product if they didn't offend against trademark law and get Pfizer on their case.

 

[Drumbuie]

If this operation began in 2018, those two charmers were 23 and 20, and their two accomplices still in their teens. I can't help thinking they're taking the fall ( in a UK not Thai jail, guys, it helps to read *all* the words) for someone older with a lot of capital behind them. 

[impulse]

Note to self...  Sell heroin.  Or fentanyl.  Less chance of getting punished than pirating a Pfizer product.

 

[sabai-dee-man]

1 hour ago, CLUBBER said:

Hope the have to do the time in a Thai prison instead of a UK one

 

Why?

[stoner]

13 minutes ago, impulse said:

Note to self...  Sell heroin.  Or fentanyl.  Less chance of getting punished than pirating a Pfizer product.

 

 

just think pfizer had a working vaccine in a 10th of the time. 

[renaissanc]

When you decide to commit a crime, you should think: "I WILL be caught eventually. Am I prepared to be confined in a British or Thai jail for 10-20 years during the best years of my life?"

[steven100]

Good job,  another nasty duo off the streets.  

[ravip]

1 hour ago, chiman said:

They looked relaxed... 

After Xanax?

[OneMoreFarang]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Police reports revealed massive profits were made between 2018 and 2019

 

Why are there massive profits? Because those drugs can be produced cheap.

If pharma companies would sell their products at reasonable prices, then those private scammers wouldn't exist.

[ravip]

orchestrating a counterfeit Xanax operation

 

It seems that not only the Chinese that specialise in  counterfeiting!

Stiff competition is gaining ground, with the influx of quality tourists!

[FinChin67]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

It took them a whole 5 years to uncover this scam of 2 kids dealing in drugs? can't say much for the slow and layback

ways those guys were investigating the case, maybe in their books it wasn't a priority, who nows?...

They are busy creating killer products, like covid vaccines.

[WDSmart]

They look like nice people... 

[newbee2022]

Oh, great, again Brits as criminals in the headlines.😂. 

Thailand's quality tourists 🙏

[Excogitator]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Why are there massive profits? Because those drugs can be produced cheap.

If pharma companies would sell their products at reasonable prices, then those private scammers wouldn't exist.

Sure, lots of generic drugs could be made and sold a lot cheaper.

 

In this case, however, we're talking about counterfeit drugs with potentially harmful ingredients. It's in the interest of public health and safety to get them, and the people producing and selling them, off the streets.