British couple busted for running Xanax scam in Thailand

A British couple who led a multimillion-pound fake Xanax ring from a lavish Thai villa are facing a lengthy jail sentence.

The couple, 29 year old Brian Pitts and 26 year old Katie Harlow, allegedly orchestrated an international drug empire from their opulent hideaway in Thailand, flooding the dark web with counterfeit Xanax pills produced in makeshift labs across the West Midlands, in the United Kingdom. The couple enlisted friends and family in their criminal venture, selling over £4 million (approximately 185 million baht) worth of the dangerous pills online.

Their criminal enterprise was brought to light following a five-year investigation spearheaded by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. After purchasing and testing several batches, Pfizer confirmed the pills were fake and perilously mixed with other substances.

Regional Organised Crime Units across the UK launched a coordinated effort to dismantle the gang. Ten members, including Pitts and Harlow, now face significant jail time. Pitts confessed to conspiracy to supply class C drugs and conspiracy to commit a trademark offence. Meanwhile, Harlow, who had also been living a double life in a modest three-bedroom semi-detached house in Wednesbury, admitted to money laundering.

Two more gang members, 25 year old Jordan Pitts and 24 year old Bladen Roper were convicted on Wednesday, June 19, at Wolverhampton Crown Court for assisting in the commission of an offence.

According to police, the gang raked in an eye-watering sum from online sales in 2018 and 2019, with profits laundered through Bitcoin. In a dramatic 2019 raid, police uncovered a shed in Tipton operating as a fake Xanax factory, equipped with an industrial powder mixer. Another bust in Wolverhampton revealed a tablet press machine and handwritten recipe lists.

Detective Inspector Dave Hollies remarked that the scale of production was staggering, with millions of counterfeit tablets produced.

“We found evidence of the group purchasing over two tonnes of bulking agents and 220 kilogrammes of active ingredients.”

Records indicated that the fake pills were shipped worldwide, reaching Europe and America. The gang faces charges of conspiracy to supply class C drugs, conspiracy to commit a trademark offence, and money laundering. Sentencing will follow at a later date, reported Daily Mail UK.

Xanax, a powerful tranquilliser used for treating anxiety and panic attacks, is not available on the NHS but can be privately prescribed in the UK.