An international investigation has led to the sentencing of three individuals from London for their involvement in the “large scale” importation and distribution of unregulated high strength opioids including tramadol and tapentadol.

The sentencing of husband and wife Salman and Juhi Ansari as well as partner in crime Waqas Saleem at Southwark Crown Court followed a six-week trial where their role in importing hundreds of thousands of tablets from India into the UK and then onwards to north America was revealed. 

In October 2020, US customers officials liaised with the City of London Police’s Serious Organised Crime Team (SOCT) after they seized “numerous shipments” sent from the UK containing illicit pharmaceuticals, leading to the SOCT tracking down a storage unit in Wembley used by Mr Ansari and Mr Saleem and arresting the two men in July 2021. 

The SOCT uncovered “a significant quantity of large cardboard boxes” containing “thousands of blister packs of what purported to be pharmaceutical grade drugs”. 

The products included tramadol, zopiclone, atizolam, Xanax, nitrazepam, zolpidem, pregabalin and “what was believed to be cannabis resin”. Over a million tablets with a combined weight of more than 730kg were seized in total. 

Complex money laundering

It was found that Mr Ansari had more than 11 bank accounts in his name with a credit turnover of £1.09m “which vastly outweighed any declared or legitimate income expressed to HMRC”. 

There were almost 160 transactions from Salman Ansari to his wife between March 2018 and September 2021 with a total value of over £264,000, as well as payments amounting to £147,000 from Juhi Ansari to Waqas Saleem. 

The use of “complex money laundering techniques” was also identified, including transferring the proceeds of illicit sales to individuals in India using cryptocurrencies. 

Despite all three entering pleas of not guilty, the jury unanimously found them guilty on all counts. 

Mr Ansari and Mr Saleem were both found guilty of 12 counts of possession with intent to supply Class A, B and C drugs as well as one count of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and one count of money laundering, with the former receiving a six-year sentence and the latter a two-and-a-half-year sentence.

Mrs Ansari was found guilty of one count of money laundering. In addition to receiving a suspended sentence, she must complete 100 hours’ unpaid work and a 25-day stint in rehab. 

‘You’re next,’ gang's accomplices warned

Detective Constable Syed Shah from the SOCT said: “Today’s result is the culmination of numerous law enforcement agencies, working together from across the world over a period of more than three years. 

“The illegal importation of drugs has a devastating impact on the public. These drugs in particular are subject to an emerging trend of misuse due to their availability and affordability.

“Many of the drugs seized are unregulated products for the UK market, with the investigation team encountering counterfeited brands such as Xanax and flubromazolam with the pills’ dose and potency unknown. 

“This investigation involved partnership working with colleagues from  UK Border Force, as well as crucial support overseas from US law enforcement, principally the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Patrol and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). From everyone at City of London Police, we thank you all for your hard work.

“To those individuals which have assisted or benefitted financially from this criminal enterprise, you all now become the focus of future investigations with law enforcement targeting you in the UK and overseas.”

Special agent Michael J. Krol from the US Homeland Security Investigations team added: “This pharmaceutical smuggling ring was systematically disrupted and dismantled through the hard work of law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic working together towards the same goal: a safe supply chain the public can trust.

“We live in a global society and crimes do not confine themselves to one country. We must work together to tackle transnational threats to ensure a safer world for all.”