By Neil Trainis

This story was originally published by Independent Community Pharmacist

A drug dealer who sold prescription-only drugs on social media having described himself as a pharmacist was jailed for four and-a-half years last month after the death of a Cambridge University student.

Benjamin Brown, 32, from Byrefield Road, Guildford, Surrey, was tracked down by officers from Cambridgeshire Police and arrested after 20-year-old Keshava Iyengar was found dead in a friend’s room at Trinity College in March 2021.

Officers found messages on Iyengar’s phone from someone called Lean Xan Man, later identified as Brown, who sold prescription-only drugs on Snapchat and Instagram.

A coroner ruled last year that Iyengar died from a drugs overdose having had “potentially fatal quantities of Xanax in his blood,” according to a pathologist who gave evidence. The coroner also heard Iyengar had taken the drug for “high anxiety levels” but was “not reckless” and there was no evidence he had tried to take his own life.

Although Cambridgeshire Police said it was not proven that Brown's actions caused Iyengar’s death, he was sentenced for supplying and possessing drugs.

The force said a search of his home revealed Brown, who was arrested on July 27, 2021, was in possession of drugs worth over £15,000 in cash as well as sticky labels bearing his “business logo.”

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

Passing sentence, the judge said Brown’s drug-dealing business was “substantial, sophisticated and lucrative.”