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Two men have been jailed in Britain for illegally importing unregulated pharmaceutical drugs from India. The operation, estimated to be worth £1 million, involved the distribution of strong opioids and sedatives.
London, Oct 28 (PTI) Two men face significant jail terms in Britain for their role in what police described as the large-scale import and distribution of unregulated pharmaceutical drugs from India to Britain, where they were then repackaged and shipped internationally distributed.
City of London Police foiled the racket worth an estimated £1 million during the operation and seized more than 730kg of strong opioids and tranquilizers.
Salman Ansari, 33, will serve a six-year prison sentence after being found guilty of 12 counts of possession with intent to supply prohibited or restricted class A, B and C drugs, one count of conspiracy to supply drugs and one count of money laundering.
Waqas Saleem, 33, was jailed for two and a half years after being found guilty of similar charges at the end of a trial in London on Friday.
“Many of the drugs seized are unregulated products for the UK market, with the investigation team encountering counterfeit brands such as Xanax with flubromazolam, the dose and strength of which are unknown,” said Detective Inspector Syed Shah of the Serious Organized Crime Team (SOCT). at the City of London Police.
“The illegal importation of drugs has a devastating impact on the public. These drugs in particular are subject to an emerging trend of abuse due to their availability and affordability… To the individuals who aided or financially benefited from this criminal enterprise: You will all become the focus of future investigations, with law enforcement targeting you in Britain and beyond,” he said.
A female accomplice, 32-year-old Juhi Ansari – wife of Salman Ansari, was found guilty of money laundering and given a suspended sentence, but will have to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation.
Husband-wife Salman and Juhi Ansari were also found to have laundered money worth around $117,000 to India. They, along with Saleem, pleaded not guilty, but during a six-week trial at Southwark Crown Court the jury was presented with extensive evidence outlining the global drug network orchestrated by the two men. The jury was unanimous in finding all suspects guilty.
The three-year investigation involved London police working with the UK Border Force and US law enforcement agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Patrol and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
The attacks included strong opioids such as tapentadol and tramadol, and benzodiazepines including zolpidem, zopiclone and nitrazepam.
According to police, these drugs are often abused because of their sedative effects and can be fatal in combination. In total, more than 1,000,000 tablets were seized.
“Selling and importing unapproved pharmaceutical drugs across international borders and into the U.S. endangers public health. The FDA is grateful for the collaboration with the City of London and multiple law enforcement agencies to bring these criminals to justice.” , said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office.
“This pharmaceutical smuggling ring was systematically disrupted and dismantled through the hard work of law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic, working together toward the same goal: a secure supply chain that the public can trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of the HSI . in New England.
The investigation dates back to October 2020, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities seized numerous shipments sent from the United Kingdom that were found to contain illegal pharmaceutical drugs. A referral was then made to the City of London Police SOCT, who were able to identify Ansari and Saleem as responsible for the shipment of the drugs and the location where they had stored the drugs.
By tracking the packages sent from British airports to JFK, officers were able to identify the delivery locations of the drugs and the vehicles used. This led officers to a warehouse in Wembley, North London.
Ansari and Saleem were arrested at the storage unit in July 2021 for conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and money laundering. The storage area contained a significant amount of large cardboard boxes containing thousands of blister packs of purportedly pharmaceutical grade drugs. A total of 175 exhibits were seized from the storage location.
Financial investigations revealed that Salman Ansari had more than eleven bank accounts in his name, with a credit turnover of GBP 1.09 million, which far exceeded the declared or legitimate income reported to HMRC. Between March 2018 and September 2021, more than 158 transactions were made from Salman Ansari to his wife, totaling more than GBP 265,000, and during the same period, Juhi Ansari sent more than GBP 147,000 to Salman Ansari. It was also found that Salman Waqas sent Saleem more than GBP 7,000 in April 2021 and July 2021.
In addition, several complex money laundering techniques were used, whereby funds from illegal sales were made into various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and USD and transferred to individuals in India.
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