The MHRA uncovers the nation’s first illicit production site for unlicensed slimming injections, seizing products worth over AUD$500,000.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has smashed a large-scale illegal manufacturing and distribution operation for unlicensed weight-loss medicines.
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, officials said in a statement.
The unprecedented raid, carried out by officers from the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit with support from Northamptonshire Police, targeted a warehouse on an industrial estate in Northampton that was operating as a covert production site.
During the two-day search, investigators uncovered tens of thousands of empty injector pens, chemical ingredients, and more than 2000 unlicensed pre-filled weight-loss pens labelled as containing retatrutide and tirzepatide.
The finished products were valued at over more than AUD$500,000, while officers also seized about AUD$40,000 in cash believed to be linked to the illegal operation.
In addition, the site contained sophisticated manufacturing and packaging machinery capable of producing high volumes of unregulated medicines intended for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
While tirzepatide is approved around the world (and by the TGA in Australia for the management of diabetes), retatrutide is GLP-1 medicine in clinical development, which has not been approved for UK use.
Outside of authorised clinical trials, any products being sold in the UK that claim to contain retatrutide are likely to be illegal and are potentially dangerous to people’s health, the MHRA said.  
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s CEU, said the result was warning to consumers and would be criminals alike.
“This seizure shows the lengths these criminals will go to for profit,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Morling welcomed the success of the Northampton raid.
“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,” he said.
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“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.” 
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, described the result 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”.
“These unregulated products, made with no regard for safety or quality, posed a major risk to unwitting customers,” 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 CEU serves as the MHRA’s in-house law enforcement division, leading the agency’s national and international response to medicines crime.
Its mission is to protect the public and uphold the rule of law by preventing offending where possible, disrupting criminal activity where necessary, and bringing offenders to justice where appropriate.
Using a comprehensive toolkit that includes intelligence analysis, online disruption, covert investigation, and asset recovery, the CEU collaborates closely with UK police forces and global enforcement partners to tackle the growing threat of illegal medicines.
Integral to the operation were the MHRA’s Accredited Financial Investigators, who are authorised by the National Crime Agency under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). These investigators specialise in tracing, freezing, and confiscating assets linked to criminal enterprises, including money laundering and the illegal supply of medicines.
Their remit extends to seizing cash, valuables, and digital assets such as cryptocurrency suspected of criminal origins.
