Pharmacist and son made £3.5m selling fake drugs from secret factory

Pharmacist and his son made £3.5m by selling fake drugs from their secret Breaking Bad-style factory on the dark web

• Detectives began investigating Allen Valentine and Roshan Valentine in January
• Warehouse unit in London believed to be county’s first illegal sedatives factory

A pharmacist and his son ran a secret Breaking Bad-style pharmaceuticals factory from an industrial estate, a court heard.

Allen Valentine, 62, and Roshan Valentine, 39, made at least £3.5 million producing Xanax, Valium and Teva and selling the fake drugs on the dark web.

Detectives began investigating the pair in January 2022 and discovered they spent most of their days with Roshan’s childhood friend Krunal Patel, 40, at the warehouse unit at Acton Business Park in west London.

The company was called Puzzle Logistics Limited and has produced millions of tablets since it was set up in 2016.

It is believed to be the county’s first illegal sedatives factory.

Allen Valentine, 62, and Roshan Valentine, 39, (pictured) made millions of pounds by producing Xanax, Valium and Teva and selling the fake drugs on the dark web

The trio had several accounts on different dark web markets and advertised the sale of Xanax and Diazepam.

Mr Patel was the delivery man and would frequently leave the warehouse with large bags, returning 10 to 15 minutes later without the contents of the bags.

Users would purchase the drugs on the dark web in cryptocurrency.

Mr Patel was arrested near to the warehouse with 15 parcels labelled for posting to addresses across the UK on August 17 last year.

Inside those parcels were fake Xanax and Teva. 

Roshan and Allen Valentine were arrested later that same day.

Detectives began investigating the pair in January 2022 and discovered they spend most of their days with Roshan’s childhood friend Krunal Patel (pictured left), 40, at the warehouse unit at Acton Business Park in west London (pictured right)

Pictured: Fake Diazepam (file photo). The company that was run by the pair was called Puzzle Logistics Limited and has produced millions of tablets since it was set up in 2016

In the warehouse, police found a secret laboratory containing chemicals, equipment and crates of pills.

The pills were analysed and found to contain Class C drugs from the Benzodiazepine group including Deschloroetizolam, Flubromazepam, Bromazolam and Flualprazolam.

Allen Valentine told the jury he was a doctor and has a string of qualifications in pharmacy.

Detective Constable Alex Hawkins of the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit said: ‘The three men ran a sophisticated, large-scale production of fake pharmaceutical drugs sold on the dark web that appeared to be genuine.

Pictured: Hidden door of pharmaceuticals factory. Mr Patel was arrested near to the warehouse with 15 parcels labelled for posting to addresses across the UK on August 17 last year

‘Their operation was solely for the greed of those involved bearing no concern for the vulnerabilities of those purchasing these drugs.

‘Some of the drugs contained completely different chemicals from those which should be in the genuine tablets; some of them are extremely dangerous.

‘This is the first seizure of those chemicals in the UK and as such legislation will be amended later this year to include these drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act as Class A substances.

‘Stopping the manufacturing of these drugs has removed a significant risk to the public.

‘We would like to thank pharmaceutical companies Viatris and Teva UK for assisting the Met in our investigation and supporting our prosecution against these dangerous and fraudulent men.

‘I’d urge anyone to seek medical advice and obtain a prescription for medication through a doctor. If you buy from the dark web there is no guarantee what is in the substances, as with this case.’

Pictured: The warehouse unit at Acton Business Park in west London. Police found a secret laboratory containing chemicals, equipment and crates of pills

Pictured: Fake Xanax (file photo). Users would purchase the drugs on the dark web in cryptocurrency

Pictured: Tools used to make tablets. The pills were analysed and found to contain Class C drugs from the Benzodiazepine group including Deschloroetizolam, Flubromazepam, Bromazolam and Flualprazolam

Mr Patel of Carmalite Road, Harrow, and Roshan Valentine, of Hilliard Road, Northwood, admitted conspiracy to produce controlled drugs of Class C, conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class C, possessing a controlled drug of Class C with intent to supply, and conspiracy to sell trademarked goods without authorisation.

They also admitted conspiracy to use a registered trademark for labelling or packaging goods without authorisation, possession of articles designed to make unauthorised copies of registered trademarks, and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property.

Allen Valentine, of Kynaston Wood, Harrow, denied the same offences but was convicted after a trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

They will be sentenced at a later date and face a confiscation hearing.

In the long-running Netflix series Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston plays Walter White, a chemistry teacher who discovers that he has cancer and sets up a meth-making business to repay his medical debts.

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