British Couple Arrested for Running Xanax Scam in Thailand

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, stoner said:

 

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

 

I think you missed this part -

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

[stoner]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I think you missed this part -

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

 

no i was talking about it was them doing the investigation and not the police. 

[Bangkok Barry]

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.

 

Unless you know how many hundreds of millions of dollars are spent researching and developing the drugs then you have no right to say that the companies charge an extortionate price for their product. These drugs are not produced overnight out of nothing. It takes great skill and highly trained scientists to produce these products. That all costs money.

[Emdog]

Some people say they were given protection in exchange for help during pandemic in distributing that Chinese vax and also development of Thai vax to service all of SE Asia. Some people....

[Hakuna Matata]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

оrchestrating a counterfeit Xanax operation from their luxury villa in Thailand

 

Oh, my God! Those perky Brits once again are hitting the news headlines in Thailand! What a disgrace for the nation. Stricter visa rules are required, including police and criminal record screening. What do you think?

[khunpeer]

6 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

 

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and where in Tland was this luxury villa?

names are mentioned, places & detectives in UK, but not where these two lovebirds were living

[brianthainess]

I am not condoning what they did but, Did their 'Counterfeit' drug work ? did anyone get sick or die ? or is this just about the money lost to Pfizer ?

[impulse]

20 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Unless you know how many hundreds of millions of dollars are spent researching and developing the drugs then you have no right to say that the companies charge an extortionate price for their product. These drugs are not produced overnight out of nothing. It takes great skill and highly trained scientists to produce these products. That all costs money.

 

Be that as it may, when I can buy a genuine prescription in Thailand for 1/20 of the price in the USA, something stinks.  Same brand.  Same dosage.  Huge price disparity.

 

 

[CecilM]

And the next big thing will be fake Ozempic flooding the markets (mentioned in the news yesterday).

[Captain Flack]

A number of off topic post and replies removed, try to stay on the topic.

[ChaiyaTH]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

DIsgusting people hope they enjoy their long prison sentences.

But if it was a legit pharmarcist, or people selling legal weed and made million, it was totally fine, right.

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, CecilM said:

And the next big thing will be fake Ozempic flooding the markets (mentioned in the news yesterday).

 

Not to mention the 2024 South Park movie "The End of Obesity".

 

Not that I recommend it.  It has some absolutely hilarious moments, but to much dross to sit through for the nuggets.  It may be worth watching if you were high.  Say, on fake Xanax.  From one of the nice vendors on Sukhumvit.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

52 minutes ago, Excogitator said:

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.

Sure. But my point is that people wouldn't buy something "cheap" on the streets if they could buy quality products for a decent price in a pharmacy.

The same applies to all drugs - legal or illegal. 

[ballpoint]

2 hours ago, ravip said:

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!

 

No, it was Xanax they were counterfeiting, not Viagra.  More like relaxed competition.

[OneMoreFarang]

28 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Unless you know how many hundreds of millions of dollars are spent researching and developing the drugs then you have no right to say that the companies charge an extortionate price for their product. These drugs are not produced overnight out of nothing. It takes great skill and highly trained scientists to produce these products. That all costs money.

 

Sure, you are right, that all cost a lot of money.

Apart from that it is well known that pharma companies sell their drugs for the prices which they can get for the drugs, more or less independent of the production cost.

I remember there was some pharmaceutical liquid which was sold in big bottles, cheap. And then some eye doctors discovered it was a great medicine for some eye condition. And then, what happened? The pharma company packed it into tiny portions and sold it for at least 1000 times more expensive - because they could.

 

IMHO pharma companies should make money, sure. But it seems they have profit margins for some products which are just crazy.

[sambum]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I think you missed this part -

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

 

Of course "pharmaceutical giant Pfizer" would say that wouldn't they? They're not likely to say that they were exactly the same ingredients as their product, but selling for half the price!!!

[sambum]

35 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Sure, you are right, that all cost a lot of money.

Apart from that it is well known that pharma companies sell their drugs for the prices which they can get for the drugs, more or less independent of the production cost.

I remember there was some pharmaceutical liquid which was sold in big bottles, cheap. And then some eye doctors discovered it was a great medicine for some eye condition. And then, what happened? The pharma company packed it into tiny portions and sold it for at least 1000 times more expensive - because they could.

 

IMHO pharma companies should make money, sure. But it seems they have profit margins for some products which are just crazy.

 

I can get Zanax over/under the counter at a local pharmacy, but the price rocketed a few years ago. When I asked why, the pharmacist told me that "some kids were abusing them", so the price had been increased to deter them.

[shackleton]

Story seems confusing saying they were operating in selling drugs from their 

Luxury house in Thailand probably enjoying a holiday 

But we're arrested. On their return to the UK 

Where they are being  tried

Won't be spending their ill gotten gains in Thailand for the future 

[Bangkok Barry]

56 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Be that as it may, when I can buy a genuine prescription in Thailand for 1/20 of the price in the USA, something stinks.  Same brand.  Same dosage.  Huge price disparity.

 

 

 

I believe that companies sometimes negotiate a pricing arrangement with certain countries and their government, That is why you get different prices in different countries. 

[Sheryl]

9 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

I can get Zanax over/under the counter at a local pharmacy, but the price rocketed a few years ago. When I asked why, the pharmacist told me that "some kids were abusing them", so the price had been increased to deter them.

It is completely illegal in Thailand for a pharmacy to sell Xanax and other benzos.

 

Drugs sold in this manner are often  counterfeit or pirated...and pirated versions are not quality controlled ,(see below).

 

An important point people seem to be missing anout what this couple did, is that their product was laced with other, dangerous, substances.  Often the case with pirated drugs. 

[Deerculler]

4 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?...

And you know all about investigating crime. Go back into the hole you crawled out of.

[Sheryl]

6 minutes ago, shackleton said:

Story seems confusing saying they were operating in selling drugs from their 

Luxury house in Thailand probably enjoying a holiday 

But we're arrested. On their return to the UK 

Where they are being  tried

Won't be spending their ill gotten gains in Thailand for the future 

They were selling on the dark web. Which can be done ftpm any location.

 

Unclear where the fake product was actually prodiced and packaged and by whom. 

[sambum]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It is completely illegal in Thailand for a pharmacy to sell Xanax and other benzos.

 

Drugs sold in this manner are often  counterfeit or pirated...and pirated versions are not quality controlled ,(see below).

 

An important point people seem to be missing anout what this couple did, is that their product was laced with other, dangerous, substances.  Often the case with pirated drugs. 

 

Please note that I did say "over/under the counter"

 

Re counterfeit or pirated, and laced with other dangerous substances " Of course pharmaceutical giant Pfizer would say that wouldn't they? They're not likely to say that they were exactly the same ingredients as their product, but selling for half the price!!!"

[Deerculler]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It is completely illegal in Thailand for a pharmacy to sell Xanax and other benzos.

 

Drugs sold in this manner are often  counterfeit or pirated...and pirated versions are not quality controlled ,(see below).

 

An important point people seem to be missing anout what this couple did, is that their product was laced with other, dangerous, substances.  Often the case with pirated drugs. 

The other thing Sheryl is that most have never seen the results of these illegal drugs and what it does to those who use them.

It takes a lot of long hard pain staking investigation work by policer teams etc to make sure they have the evidence on these crimms.

That it puts them away for a very long time.

 

[sambum]

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They were selling on the dark web. Which can be done ftpm any location.

 

Unclear where the fake product was actually prodiced and packaged and by whom. 

 

Part of the article says ".....distributing fake Xanax pills across the dark web from makeshift labs in the West Midlands, UK."

 

Seems pretty clear to me!

[Deerculler]

5 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Please note that I did say "over/under the counter"

 

Re counterfeit or pirated, and laced with other dangerous substances " Of course pharmaceutical giant Pfizer would say that wouldn't they? They're not likely to say that they were exactly the same ingredients as their product, but selling for half the price!!!"

It has got nothing to do with Pfizer losing money.

It is to do with stopping criminals manufacturing counterfeit to make money for themselves.

You have no idea how millions of lives are destroyed through illegal drugs.

Please put your brain into gear and think before make anymore stupid comments like that.

[Deerculler]

2 hours ago, WDSmart said:

They look like nice people... 

What does a criminal look like?

[Polaky]

Who buys their drugs online?, surely you would go to a chemist and not Lazada, unless the chemists were in on it, I have come to the conclusion that nothing is real anymore, and the drugs your taking including vitamins could be lethal.

[roo860]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

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

Thailand's quality tourists 🙏

Exactly 'tourists ', doesn't say how long they were were holidaying in Thailand as far as I can see, 2 weeks, 2 months? So really it's not Thailand story as they were charged on there return to the ok.

Edited June 22 by roo860

[Sheryl]

21 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Please note that I did say "over/under the counter"

 

Re counterfeit or pirated, and laced with other dangerous substances " Of course pharmaceutical giant Pfizer would say that wouldn't they? They're not likely to say that they were exactly the same ingredients as their product, but selling for half the price!!!"

 

There are already many generic versions of Xanax produced and marketed by bona fide pharmaceutical companies. Pfizer's patent expired more thsn 20 years ago. 

 

Pfizer's concern would not be patent protectionism but rather having their particular brand associated with a sub-standard and potentially dangerous product.

 

A drug produced in a "makeshift lab" is not going to be safe and will very often be laced with, or contaminated by,  other substances.