A drug dealer claiming to be a 'pharmacist' has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years of imprisonment for his involvement in the death of a 20-year-old Indian-origin student of Cambridge University in 2021.
The victim was identified as Keshava Iyengar, who was found dead in a friend's room at Trinity College, Cambridge University, over two years ago. The accused Benjamin Brown was tracked down and arrested by the Cambridgeshire police after his death.
“Brown was running a huge operation from his bedroom in Surrey, which had tragic consequences,” said Detective Constable Dan Harper from Cambridgeshire Police. His alias was reported to be "Lean Xan Man".
The police detective said that while it was not possible to prove that the 32-year-old Brown's actions directly resulted in Iyengar's death, it was taken into consideration that drugs ruined lives and remained a priority for the police in Cambridgeshire
The Huntington Law Courts sentenced Brown last week. During the hearing, Brown described himself as a 'pharmacist' but the court heard that he was selling prescription-only drugs through social media channels like Instagram and Snapchat.
During his arrest in 2021, Brown's home in Surrey was searched by police and several uncovered drugs, cash and sticky labels with his business logo were found. He later pleaded guilty to two counts regarding the supply of banned and controlled substances.
The judge who presided over the case described his business as "substantial, sophisticated and lucrative" and that Brown had profited from the vulnerabilities of other people dependent on prescription medication, according to police.
(with inputs from PTI)
