'Potentially deadly' fake weight-loss jabs worth £250,000 seized in raid on factory
The huge demand for weight-loss drugs has fuelled a dark underground industry
A haul of fake weight-loss jabs worth more than £250,000 has been seized from a warehouse in Northampton in a first-of-its-kind raid.
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The bust of the "potentially deadly" injections is believed to be largest single seizure of trafficked weight-loss medicines ever recorded by a law enforcement agency worldwide.
During the two-day search operation, tens of thousands of empty unlicensed weight-loss pens ready to be filled and raw chemical ingredients were discovered.
More than 2,000 retatrutide and tirzepatide pens awaiting dispatch to customers were also seized.
Retatrutide is an experimental weight loss drug that has not yet been approved by health bodies for general use, while tirzepatide, used to treat type 2 diabetes, is commonly sold under the name Mounjaro.
Read more: Mowgli founder dismisses weight-loss drug trend for small portions as ‘gimmick’
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for health and social care, 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."
Mr Streeting urged patients to only use weight-loss jabs under professional medical supervision.
He said: “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.”
The raid was carried out by officers from the Criminal Enforcement Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supported by Northamptonshire Police.
The site, on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Northampton, is believed to have been used for the large-scale manufacture, packaging, and distribution of unlicensed and "potentially deadly" weight loss products to customers.
Along with large amounts of sophisticated packaging and manufacturing equipment, officers also recovered approximately £20,000 in cash suspected to be linked to medicines trafficking.
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.
"Taking prescription medicines sourced in any other way carries serious risks to your health – there are no guarantees about what they contain, and some may even be contaminated with toxic substances. “
He described the raid as a "landmark result" for the MHRA and a "major blow" for the illegal medicine trade.
Mr Morling added: "These products are untested, unauthorised, and potentially deadly. By taking this organised criminal network out of operation and stopping tens of thousands of potentially fatal products from entering circulation, we’ve prevented a serious risk to public health.
“This is an illicit global market that endangers patients, puts big money in the pockets of organised criminals, and undermines legitimate healthcare. This operation demonstrates, once again, that my officers will stop at nothing to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the organised criminal networks who put profit before safety.”
The huge surge in demand for weight-loss drugs has fulled the dark underground trade for counterfeit products.
This week, Freedom of Information data obtained by Chemist4U shows the UK Border Force seized around 18,300 illegal or unregulated weight-loss and diabetes medications between January 2024 and June 2025.