A man has been jailed for 12 years after police uncovered more than 2,000 litres of GBL, a liquid drug which is linked to spiking, and more commonly known as the ‘date rape drug’.
Police investigating a series of drug offences in the north west of England passed intelligence to detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Unit, suggesting large qualities of GBL was being transported from Manchester to London, alongside the supply of crystal meth from London to Manchester.
Officers identified Ahoor Ramabark Fathi, 61 of Willowbrook Road, Southall through phone data.
On Friday, 17 April he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs, possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of criminal property.
Officers went to three addresses – two in Ealing, and one in Southall – linked to Fathi that were believed to be used to store significant amounts of drugs and money. Police attended one of the addresses where he was located and arrested on suspicion of the supply of controlled drugs.
Following his arrest, officers searched a storage container rented by Fathi and found 188 boxes, each containing 12 one litre bottles of GBL (2,256 litres).
Effects of GBL include memory loss, leading to it being known as a ‘date rape drug’.
Further items including £100,000 in cash, 456g of crystal meth, ammunition, and a firearm was also found at his property in Ealing.
Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, who led the investigation, said:“Drug supply causes significant harm to communities across London and is often linked to exploitation, violence and other serious criminality. This seizure represents one of the largest quantities of GBL recovered in London and has prevented a substantial amount of the drug from reaching our streets.
“GBL and crystal meth are frequently associated with serious offences. We recognise that victims can face barriers to reporting crimes linked to drug use and exploitation, which can result in offending going unreported.
“Protecting Londoners remains our priority. We encourage anyone who has been affected by these crimes to come forward and speak to police. We will continue to target and dismantle organised crime groups responsible for supplying harmful drugs and causing harm within our communities.”
Fathi was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, 23 July.
