In 2026, 45-year-old Robert Poleszak, of Elgar Road, Reading, entered guilty pleas to a vast array of criminal indictments at Reading Crown Court. The prosecution followed a major National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation that linked the dark web drug trafficker to at least two fatal overdoses.
Poleszak, a Polish national who also operated under the alias Krzysztof Wozniak, admitted to 20 separate drug supply offences involving Class A substances and highly lethal synthetic opioids. Alongside these charges, Poleszak pleaded guilty to manufacturing thousands of the most severe category of indecent images of children.
The Dark Web Operation and Forensic Links to Fatalities
The investigation carried out by the NCA established that Poleszak managed an extensive distribution network on the dark web. He advertised counterfeit Oxycodone prescription pills which were secretly laced with Isotonitazene—a synthetic opioid 1,000 times more powerful than morphine. Despite numerous online customer reviews warning that buyers were overdosing and ending up in hospital, Poleszak continued his distribution.
Post Office Surveillance, Arrest, and Factory Raid
- Surveillance Operations: NCA investigators identified Poleszak by tracking his physical movements as he shipped drug parcels to dark web customers from a Post Office in Broad Street, Reading.
- The October Raid: Officers executed a warrant at his Elgar Road home on 1 October 2025. Inside, they uncovered a fully functioning drug manufacturing lab containing pill dyes, chemical powders, face filters, and a video showing Poleszak constructing a mechanical pill press.
- Forensic Death Links: Investigators forensically linked Poleszak to a February 2025 death in Cornwall and a May 2025 death in Henley-on-Thames. In the secondary case, identical packaging materials and Poleszak’s fingerprints were recovered directly from an envelope in the deceased user’s bedroom.
Key Takeaways and Judicial Outcomes
Following his formal appearance on Thursday, 28 May 2026, the judiciary recorded his guilty pleas across all indictments. A digital forensic analysis of his mobile devices and hard drives had uncovered an enormous repository of child exploitation material, which he admitted in full.
- Official Convictions: Poleszak pleaded guilty to 20 drugs charges including conspiracy to supply nitazenes, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methylamphetamine. He further admitted to making 5,134 Category A indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.
- Sentencing Timeline: The defendant has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to be formally sentenced by the judge at Reading Crown Court on 17 July 2026.
- Lethal Substance Profile: The case highlights the escalating danger of synthetic nitazenes, which have been linked to more than 1,000 UK deaths since June 2023.
Community Impact and Public Protection
Following the court hearing, Tim Lambert, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, condemned Poleszak’s actions, stating that offenders do not get much lower than an individual who happily supplied lethal chemical agents while possessing thousands of child sexual abuse images.
The NCA reiterated that dismantling the supply chain of synthetic opioids smuggled from overseas labs remains a top enforcement priority. The permanent closure of Poleszak’s dark web lab and the seizure of his digital infrastructure successfully removes a high-risk predator capable of causing catastrophic harm to drug users and vulnerable minors alike.
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