Fake weight-loss jabs worth £250,000 seized in first-of-its-kind raid
Nearly £250,000 worth of fake weight loss injections were seized in what is thought to be the biggest crackdown on illegal drugs worldwide.
Officers raided a warehouse in Northampton, uncovering tens of thousands of empty slimming pens ready to be filled, raw chemicals and more than 2,000 unlicensed retatrutide and tirzepatide pens.
The medicines regulator said the raid was the first weight-loss drug manufacturing facility discovered in the UK and is believed to be the largest single seizure of smuggled weight-loss drugs ever made by a law enforcement agency.
According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the finished product of the supplies taken by officers has a street value of around £250,000.
Officers also seized a large quantity of sophisticated packaging and production equipment and £20,000 in cash suspected to be linked to drug smuggling.
Independent It was previously reported that illegal retatrutide, a weight loss vaccine currently in development, was being sold via social media. The drug is marketed as a “Triple G” weight loss drug due to its unique ability to mimic the effects of three different hormones (GLP-1, glucagon, and GIP) that are released after eating and work to reduce appetite, help regulate blood sugar levels, and promote fat loss.
But health bosses have warned that such compounds are illegal and could expose users to “dangerous ingredients that could lead to serious health consequences”.
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s corrections unit, said the elimination of the facility was a “landmark result” but warned people to be “extremely careful” when buying drugs online.
“Prescription medicines should only be purchased from a registered pharmacy against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional. Taking prescription medicines obtained in any other way poses serious risks to your health; there is no guarantee of their content and some may even be contaminated with toxic substances.”
“The dismantling of the first illegal weight loss drug manufacturing site in the UK is a landmark result for the MHRA, dealing a major blow to illicit trade. These products are untested, unauthorized and potentially lethal. By shutting down this organized crime network and stopping tens of thousands of potentially lethal products from entering circulation, we have prevented a serious risk to public health.
“This is an illicit global market that endangers patients, puts big money in the pockets of organized criminals, and undermines legitimate healthcare. This operation shows once again that my officers will stop at nothing to detect, disrupt and dismantle organized crime networks that put profit over safety.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the vigil was a “victory” in the fight against criminals “selling dangerous and illegal weight loss injections to make a quick buck”.
“These unregulated products, made without consideration for safety or quality, posed a huge risk to unwitting customers,” he added.
“My message is clear: Don’t buy weight loss pills from unregulated sources. Talk to your GP, get advice from the NHS and don’t line the pockets of criminals who don’t care about your health. Safe, appropriate, licensed obesity medicines can be of great benefit to those in need when taken under medical supervision, and I would urge people to only buy and use them with the approval and supervision of healthcare professionals and pharmacists.”
