Wes Streeting warns over unlicensed weight-loss jabs after illicit factory raid

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.

“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.

“Taking out the first illicit weight loss medicine manufacturing facility found in the UK is a landmark result for the MHRA and a major blow to the illegal trade. 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.”