Health Secretary Wes Streeting has issued a stark warning against buying weight-loss injections from unregulated sources after authorities dismantled Britain's first illegal laboratory producing such medications. The raid in Northampton resulted in the seizure of unlicensed medication worth £250,000.
Officers from the Criminal Enforcement Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency raided the factory and made what they believe to be the largest single seizure of trafficked weight loss medicines ever recorded by a law enforcement agency worldwide. The operation was supported by Northamptonshire Police.
Major seizure operation
During the search, officers 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 exceeded a quarter of a million pounds.
Authorities also discovered sophisticated packaging and manufacturing equipment alongside £20,000 in cash. An MHRA spokesman confirmed this was the first illicit production facility for weight loss medicine discovered in the UK.
Health Secretary's warning
Streeting described the raid as "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." He emphasised that these unregulated products posed a major risk to unwitting customers.
"My message is clear: don't buy weight loss medications from unregulated sources," Streeting said. "Talk to your GP, seek NHS advice, and don't line the pockets of criminals who don't care about your health."
Serious health risks
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA's criminal enforcement unit, warned that people should be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. He stressed that prescription medicines should only be obtained from registered pharmacies against prescriptions issued by healthcare professionals.
"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," Morling said. He described the products as "untested, unauthorised and potentially deadly."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
