They made £3.5 million running a ‘Breaking Bad’ drugs factory

A chemistry expert and his son who ran a secret ‘Breaking Bad’ style sedatives factory from an industrial estate in Acton have been jailed for a total of 18 years.

Pharmacist Allen Valentine, 63, and Roshan Valentine, 39, made at least £3.5 million producing Xanax, Valium and Teva and selling the 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.

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.

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

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.

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

Inside those parcels were fake Xanax and Teva. Roshan and Allen Valentine were arrested later that same day.

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

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.

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, conspiracy to sell trademarked goods without authorisation, 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.

Patel was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, Roshan Valentine was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and Allen Valentine was given 11 years.

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

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