Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Fake pharmacist jailed for drug dealing after student's death

Benjamin Brown was tracked down by the Cambridgeshire Police following the death of Keshava Iyengar

Fake pharmacist jailed for drug dealing after student's death

A drug dealer who claimed to be a 'pharmacist' has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after the death of an Indian-origin University of Cambridge student.

Benjamin Brown was tracked down by the Cambridgeshire Police after officers found 20-year-old Keshava Iyengar dead in a friend's room at Trinity College, Cambridge University, in March 2021.


A coroner’s report later concluded that Iyengar’s death was drug-related and the police investigation uncovered messages on his phone from a drug dealer called “Lean Xan Man.”

Officers identified “Lean Xan Man” as 32-year-old Brown from Guildford in Surrey.

“Brown was running a huge operation from his bedroom in Surrey, which had tragic consequences,” said detective constable Dan Harper from Cambridgeshire Police, who investigated the case.

“It is not possible to prove that Brown’s actions caused the death of Keshava, but you can say with certainty that drugs ruin lives and there is a reason why some can only be prescribed by a medical professional. This is why it continues to be a priority for police in Cambridgeshire,” he said.

The Huntingdon Law Courts, where he was sentenced last week, heard that Brown described himself as a "pharmacist" selling a variety of prescription-only drugs through Instagram and Snapchat.

He was arrested in July 2021 and a search of his home uncovered drugs, more than £15,000 in cash and sticky labels with his “business logo”.

Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of banned and controlled substances – supply of Class A drugs, two counts in the supply of Class C, one count in the supply of Class B, possession of Class A and possession with intent to supply Class C.

According to the police, the judge presiding over the case described Brown’s drug dealing business as “substantial, sophisticated and lucrative.” He said through greed he had “profited from the vulnerabilities of others dependent on prescription medication for conditions such as anxiety.”

(PTI)

More For You

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

Photo for representation (Photo: iStock)

Fathers over 60 help 'reverse UK birthrate decline'

THE UK has recorded its first increase in births since 2021, with a notable rise in babies born to fathers over 60 helping to lift the numbers, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2024, there were 594,677 live births in England and Wales, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year. While this is a modest increase, it marks a change after several years of decline.

Keep ReadingShow less
Quad-leaders

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year. (Photo credit: X/@DrSJaishankar)

X/@DrSJaishankar

Quad condemns Pahalgam attack, flags China’s actions and Myanmar crisis

THE QUAD grouping has called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to be brought to justice without delay. The group also urged all UN member states to cooperate in the process.

The foreign ministers of the Quad — India, the US, Australia and Japan — met in Washington DC on Tuesday to outline priorities for the bloc’s annual summit to be held in India later this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

FILE PHOTO: Airplanes remain parked on the tarmac at Heathrow International. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

'Preventable' grid failure caused Heathrow fire, says report

A FIRE that shut London's Heathrow airport in March, stranding thousands of people, was caused by the UK power grid's failure to maintain an electricity substation, an official report said on Wednesday (2), prompting the energy watchdog to open a probe.

The closure of Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, cost airlines tens of millions of pounds. It also raised questions about the resilience of Britain's infrastructure.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

Leicestershire Police

Tributes paid to Asian mum who died in Leicester attack

TRIBUTES have poured in for a 'kind-hearted' mother who tragically lost her life last week after being attacked in Leicester.

Nila Patel, 56, a British Indian woman described as a "beautiful, vibrant soul," died in hospital two days after suffering a head injury during an assault on Aylestone Road.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Sri Lanka to receive USD 350 million as IMF completes fourth review

THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) has completed the fourth review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout programme, allowing the country to access the next tranche of USD 350 million from the four-year facility.

The IMF had approved the nearly USD 3 billion bailout in March 2023 to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to restore macroeconomic stability, including fiscal and debt sustainability, during an unprecedented economic crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less