British Couple Jailed for Running Drugs Empire from Thailand Villa
A British couple who orchestrated a multi-million-pound drugs empire from their luxury villa in Thailand have been sentenced to 10 years in prison after a five-year international investigation.
Massive Counterfeit Xanax Operation
Brian Pitts, 30, and Katie Harlow, 27, masterminded a fake Xanax production and distribution ring, generating an estimated £4 million (176 million baht) by selling counterfeit pills on the dark web.
Operating from Thailand between 2018 and 2019, the couple led a lavish expat lifestyle, concealing their illegal wealth through cryptocurrency and money laundering. However, their empire collapsed in August 2019 when they were arrested upon arriving in the UK, carrying designer clothes and Rolex watches in their luggage.
Five-Year Investigation and Arrests
The case was cracked following an extensive probe led by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Ltd, uncovering a network of clandestine drug labs in the West Midlands.
During raids, police discovered:
✅ A fake Xanax factory in a shed in Tipton.
✅ A tablet press machine and metal pill casts in a Wolverhampton garage.
✅ Four pill press machines worth £30,000 (1.32 million baht), each capable of producing 10,000 pills per hour.
✅ A handwritten recipe list detailing drug production.
✅ A shipment from China containing Alprazolam and Adinazolam powder used for making fake Xanax.
Sentencing and Other Arrests
Pitts, the ringleader from Bilston, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and trademark offences, receiving an eight-year sentence.
Harlow admitted to money laundering and was sentenced to two years and one month.
Other gang members sentenced include:
- Lee Lloyd, 48, sentenced to seven years and two months.
- Kyle Smith, 26, sentenced to four years.
- Mark Bayley, 63, sentenced to six years and five months.
Five more individuals await trial in connection to the case.
Authorities Warn of Public Danger
Jonathan Kelleher from the Crown Prosecution Service emphasized the serious health risks posed by the fake Xanax pills, while Detective Inspector Dave Hollies from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit highlighted the massive scale of production, revealing that the gang used over two tonnes of bulking agent and 220kg of active ingredients.
The counterfeit Xanax, a powerful tranquillizer not available on the NHS, posed a serious threat to public health.
With Pitts and Harlow behind bars, authorities hope this serves as a warning to other international drug traffickers attempting to exploit the dark web for illegal gains.
