Gang made millions selling fake Xanax pills on dark web

A drugs gang produced millions of counterfeit Xanax pills in garden sheds and garages, selling them to customers across the UK and US.

The group, from across the West Midlands region of England, included extended family members and friends who sold more than £4m of fake pills on the so-called dark web.

They were brought to justice after a five-year international investigation, with two members being convicted earlier on Wednesday.

Eight members of the group, including suspected ringleaders Brian Pitts, 29, and Katie Harlow, 26, had previously admitted a range of charges.

Brian Pitts, of Lane Street, Bilston, organised the marketing and online sales from a luxury villa in Thailand, supported by his partner Harlow, the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) believes.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier, 25-year-old Jordan Pitts was convicted of all charges he faced. Tenth gang member Bladen Roper, 24, was found guilty of one and cleared of another.

ROCU said the group had made an "eye-watering" sum of money through online sales in 2018 and 2019.

Proceeds were laundered through cryptocurrency, mainly Bitcoin, the court was told.

In 2019, a fake Xanax factory was discovered in Windsor Road in Tipton and a second manufacturing facility in a garage in Jeremy Road, Wolverhampton.

Forensic evidence found at the scenes suggested a major production of Alprazolam, a medicine within Xanax, possibly at a rate of 10,000 pills an hour.

Months earlier, Xanax manufacturer Pfizer had begun its own investigation into counterfeit sales by carrying out test purchases.

It was able to show parcels had been distributed via post offices across the Black Country.

ROCU carried out co-ordinated raids and made multiple arrests.

"This was all simply done for profit," said Det Insp Dave Hollies, of ROCU.

"They thought, 'how can we tangibly turn the amount of money we are spending in terms of acquiring Alprazolam, bulking agent and presses into the greatest amount of money?'

"And that sum was eye-watering."

Police say Brian Pitts had grown the illicit business quickly and may have been in contact with other international drug supply chains.

Roper, of Powis Avenue, and Jordan Pitts, of Hickman Avenue, had faced a three-week trial.

Prosecutors said they had packed up and sent parcels abroad, with Roper acting as a courier.

Roper told the court he had weighed and sifted "raw" Alprazolam but thought it was a protein powder at the time.

The others who admitted charges centred around the supply of class C drugs, money laundering and infringement of Pfizer's trademark Xanax and Greenstone brands are:

• Lee Lloyd, of Shakespeare Road, Tipton
• Mark Bayley of Jeremy Road, Wolverhampton
• Deborah Bellingham of Windsor Road, Tipton
• Kyle Smith, of Beech Road, Wednesbury
• Anthony Pitts of Belmont Close, Tipton
• Scott Tonkinson of Arundel Road, Willenhall

No date for sentencing has yet been set.

Xanax is a powerful tranquilliser used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. It is not available on the NHS, but can be obtained in the UK through a private prescription.

Jenny Josephs, for the prosecution, said the group had worked together to make and supply fake versions, using chemical powder and pressing them into tablets using drug presses bought lawfully from a company in Oxfordshire.

The BBC has identified a number of websites legally selling drug presses and bulking agent for several thousand pounds.

Jurors heard the gang was able to pay for machines in cash and go to a company in Bicester to collect them.

"It's probably a little bit of wilful blindness," Mr Hollies said.

"I don't think there's anything particularly nefarious within that, but I do think certainly more questions should be asked by those involved in the distribution and manufacture of presses and bulking agent."

Alprazolam is a medicine in the benzodiazepine family of drugs, which are commonly prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia.

Misuse can cause over-sedation, collapse and overdose.

Since 2022, police forces in England and Wales have seen a 120% increase in seizures of counterfeit "street-benzos".

Alistair Bryant, a content creator from Stourbridge who has used counterfeit Xanax in the past, is calling for more controls to reduce the impact of black market sales.

"Maybe doctors need to take back some of the prescribing of these [Xanax] to reduce the importance of the illicit trade in this situation," he said.

"Young people can afford these counterfeit medications because they're the cheapest they've ever been… and sadly the highest risk they've ever been."

Illicit Alprazolam can contain other unknown and potentially harmful sedative drugs and it has been linked with a number of deaths in the UK and US, when mixed with other potent drugs.

The UK Health Security Agency said there was evidence "use is a growing problem, particularly among young people and young adults".

Cranstoun, a harm reduction charity in the Black Country, has produced guidance for people who take Xanax and other benzodiazepines, on how to do so safely.

"The counterfeit drugs are usually much more potent and stronger than the drugs they are masquerading as," says Chris Rentoul, its head of harm reduction.

He said another drug, a strong synthetic opioid called nitazenes, had also caused fatal overdoses in the UK, including in the Birmingham area last summer.

Patrick Holt, director of global security for Pfizer, said: “We’re proud of the role we played alongside the authorities to ensure these serious criminals were brought to justice.

"We dedicated time, resource and expertise to ensure these illicit counterfeit activities were prevented in order to protect public health.”

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