£32k Worth Of Counterfeit Weight Loss Injections Seized In Police Raid

City of London Police are appealing for information about an organised crime group after seizing £32,000 worth of fake weight loss drugs.

Detectives are searching for Christina Parfitt, 40, as part of an investigation into fraudsters selling unlicensed medicines online at heavily discounted prices.

A raid on a Lancashire premises on August 28 uncovered what officers believe to be counterfeit supplies of Mounjaro, Ozempic and Retatrutide. Laboratory testing revealed the drugs contained more than four times the recommended dosage. Police believe the products were being shipped through a company and illegally sold in the UK without the required licence from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The seizure comes as the official list price of Mounjaro rose sharply in the UK yesterday, with the highest strength version increasing by up to 170 per cent. While manufacturer Eli Lilly has offered discounts to UK pharmacies, private patients are expected to face higher costs.

Experts warn that the price surge is likely to drive more people towards counterfeit alternatives. Dr Luke Turnock, criminologist at the University of Lincoln, said:

"I would definitely expect the price rise to lead to more people looking to the illicit market. If you're paying £330 for a prescription and see something advertised for £110, it's tempting for people to switch."

The City of London Police investigation began after reports that a woman was advertising cut-price weight loss drugs online. Officers later identified an organised group involved in distributing unregulated medicines, including Retatrutide, which is still in phase three clinical trials and not yet approved anywhere in the world.

Both Mounjaro and Ozempic are prescription-only medicines in the UK, available legally only through a registered healthcare professional for weight management or type 2 diabetes.

Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, urged the public to avoid counterfeit products:

"Not only are they potentially unsafe, but without medical advice they can be extremely dangerous."

GV Hale