In a major international operation, City of London Police, in collaboration with Indian authorities, have dismantled a £1 million illegal drug network, leading to the seizure of more than 1,000,000 pills and the sentencing of three individuals at Southwark Crown Court.
The investigation uncovered that unregulated pharmaceutical drugs were being imported from India into the UK, where they were repackaged and distributed worldwide. Following a six-week trial, three individuals were found guilty and sentenced:
- Salman Ansari (33), of Wembley, received a six-year sentence after being convicted on 12 counts of possession with intent to supply drugs (Classes A, B, and C), conspiracy to supply Class C drugs, and money laundering.
- Waqas Saleem (33), also of Wembley, was sentenced to two and a half years for similar charges, including possession with intent to supply and money laundering.
- Juhi Ansari (32), received a suspended sentence, along with 100 hours of community service and 25 days of rehabilitation, after being found guilty of money laundering.
City of London Police’s Serious Organised Crime Team, along with partners like UK Border Force, US Homeland Security, and India’s authorities, led the operation that seized over 730kg of drugs, including potent opioids such as tapentadol and tramadol, and sedatives like zolpidem, zopiclone, and nitrazepam. These substances, popular on the black market, carry significant health risks.
Detective Constable Syed Shah commended the collaboration among international law enforcement agencies, noting the risks associated with unregulated drugs and counterfeits, particularly those like Xanax with uncertain potency, which can be fatal if misused.
The investigation, initiated in October 2020, started with a seizure by US Customs of shipments containing illicit drugs sent from the UK. Tracking these shipments led police to Salman Ansari and Waqas Saleem, where a search of their Wembley storage location yielded thousands of blister packs of drugs.
Financial investigations revealed that Ansari operated over 11 bank accounts with suspicious credit turnovers exceeding £1 million. Money laundering activities included complex cryptocurrency transactions and remittances to India.
The City of London Police remind the public that unregulated drugs can pose severe health hazards, urging caution against purchasing medicines from unauthorized sources.
One response
Cant believe such things happens here