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 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 being convicted earlier on Wednesday.

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

Brian Pitts, of Lane Street, Bilston, organised the marketing and online sales from a luxury villa in Thailand, ed 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 of acquiring Alprazolam, bulking agent and presses into the greatest amount of money":[]}