Man, 61, admits intent to supply thousands of litres of drug linked to spiking
The Metropolitan police said a 61-year-old man admitted his intention to supply more than 2,000 liters of GBL, a drug linked to spikes and chemsex.
Following joint police investigations, it was revealed that a large quantity of GBL and a reverse supply of crystal meth had been transported from Manchester to London.
Officers arrested Ahoor Ramabark Fathi last month and searched a storage container rented by him containing 2,256 liters of gamma butyrolactone (GBL) in 188 boxes containing one-litre bottles.
Police said they also found a firearm, ammunition, £100,000 in cash and 456 grams of crystal meth at one of three addresses linked to Fathi.
Fathi, of Willowbrook Road, Southall, pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday to possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs, possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of criminal property.
After his arrest, the police searched the warehouse rented by Fathi and found 2256 liters of GBL in 1 liter bottles.
The Met’s specialist crime unit used mobile phone data to find three addresses linked to Fathi, two in Ealing and one in Southall.
GHB is an odorless, oily liquid and is usually sold in small bottles or capsules. It turns into GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) in the body, according to the NHS sexual health website. Its effects can last up to four hours and its properties can leave a person incoherent or comatose.
Lead investigator, Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, said: “Controlled drugs continue to have a devastating impact on communities across London, causing harm, exploitation and wider crime.
“This is one of GBL’s biggest finds in London and we’re delighted to have discontinued its distribution in the city.
“GBL and crystal methamphetamine misuse is often linked to serious crime. We know that drug-related crime often creates a barrier for victims, leading to under-reporting of crimes.
“It is our duty as civil servants to keep Londoners safe and to encourage surviving victims to come forward. We will continue to work hard to disrupt and root out organized crime groups supplying harmful drugs to our communities.”
According to the NHS, in GBL the difference between a high dose and an overdose, where the drug causes unresponsiveness and loss of consciousness, can be less than a millilitre.
The Met say they understand the “sensitivities and concerns” around recreational drug use in the chemsex scene and are working with charities to approach these issues carefully.
Fathi will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on July 23.
