Dudley man Connor Pardoe was jailed for moderating the SocialPharma darknet drug network that generated £4.3 million.
A Dudley man has been jailed for his role in supporting a major dark web drug trafficking network that generated an estimated £4.3 million through the online sale of illegal narcotics across the UK.
Connor Pardoe, 30, of Bewlay Close, Dudley, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court after admitting his involvement in the large-scale online drugs operation known as SocialPharma.
Between April 2024 and April 2025, Pardoe worked online for the criminal network and was paid in drugs in exchange for his services. Initially a customer of SocialPharma, he later became a moderator for the operation, acting as a customer service representative for the platform.
In that role, Pardoe handled communications between buyers and the network, responding to complaints about missing drug shipments, answering customer queries, and removing users who broke the group’s rules. Investigators also said he promoted drug listings across SocialPharma channels and other related drug distribution platforms.
At a hearing in March 2026, Pardoe pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, including crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, as well as one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs relating to amphetamine.
He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
Authorities described SocialPharma as a sophisticated online drug distribution network that supplied Class A, B, and C drugs, including counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets, through Telegram channels and darknet marketplaces.
In December 2025, four senior members of the organisation Osvaldas Novikovas, Jordanas Avizienius, Marius Sutrinavicius, and Javed Afzal Khan, were jailed for a combined total of more than 47 years for their involvement in operating the network. Prosecutors said the wider conspiracy involved drug sourcing, packaging, distribution, and the sale of counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
Detective Inspector Rob Bryant from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) Cyber Team said Pardoe played an important role in keeping the criminal operation running despite never physically handling the drugs himself.
Bryant warned that drugs sold through darknet and Telegram-based marketplaces pose major risks because buyers cannot verify the contents or purity of the substances being sold, increasing the danger of serious harm or fatal overdoses.
Authorities said the case demonstrates that individuals supporting organised crime networks online can still face significant prison sentences even if their involvement takes place entirely behind a computer screen.
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