MHRA officers and police dismantle major illicit weight-loss injection facility in Northampton

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has uncovered the United Kingdom’s first known illegal production site for weight-loss medicines, in what is thought to be the largest ever seizure of trafficked slimming injections worldwide

Officers from the Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have dismantled a major illicit manufacturing facility that had been producing and distributing unlicensed weight-loss injections, following a two-day raid on a warehouse in Northampton, United Kingdom.

The operation marked the first discovery of an illicit weight-loss medicine production site in the UK and is believed to represent the largest single seizure of trafficked weight-loss drugs ever made by a law enforcement body anywhere in the world.

Supported by Northamptonshire Police, MHRA officers seized tens of thousands of empty injection pens intended for weight-loss formulations, as well as raw chemical ingredients and more than 2,000 unlicensed pens purported to contain retatrutide and tirzepatide. The street value of the finished products has been estimated at more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Alongside the medicines, investigators recovered sophisticated packaging materials and equipment, together with approximately £20,000 in cash suspected to be linked to the trafficking operation. The site, located on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Northampton, is understood to have been used for the large-scale manufacture, filling, packaging, and distribution of unlicensed and potentially dangerous weight-loss injections.

“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,” said Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

“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,” he added.

The MHRA has said that the discovery formed part of its continuing work to combat the illegal trade in weight-loss and other unlicensed medicines.