The raid has led to the seizure of £250,000 worth of unlicensed medication. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned people not to buy weight-loss jabs from unregulated sources after an illegal laboratory was dismantled. Officers from the Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided the factory in Northampton and seized unlicensed medication worth £250,000.
An MHRA spokesman said: “This is the first illicit production facility for weight loss medicine discovered in the UK and is believed to be the largest single seizure of trafficked weight loss medicines ever recorded by a law enforcement agency worldwide. During the search, MHRA officers, supported by Northamptonshire Police, seized tens of thousands of empty weight loss pens ready to be filled, raw chemical ingredients and more than 2,000 unlicensed retatrutide and tirzepatide pens awaiting dispatch to customers.
“The street value of the finished weight loss products alone is estimated to be more than a quarter of a million pounds.” The officers also found “sophisticated packaging and manufacturing equipment” as well as £20,000 in cash.
Mr Streeting said: “This is a victory in the fight against the shameless criminals who are putting lives at risk by peddling dangerous and illegal weight loss jabs to make a quick buck. These unregulated products, made with no regard for safety or quality, posed a major risk to unwitting customers.
“My message is clear: don’t buy weight loss medications from unregulated sources. Talk to your GP, seek NHS advice, and don’t line the pockets of criminals who don’t care about your health. Safe, appropriate, licensed obesity drugs can greatly benefit those in need if taken under medical supervision, and I urge people to only purchase and use them with the approval and oversight of medics and pharmacists.”
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, said: “This seizure shows the lengths these criminals will go to for profit. People should be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. Prescription medicines should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.