Illegal Weight-loss Drug Factory Uncovered in £250k Police Operation

Thousands of illegal weight-loss injections have been seized during a major raid on a factory in the UK.

Authorities uncovered at least 2,000 unlicensed doses and tens of thousands of injectable pens awaiting filling in what is believed to be the largest global seizure of trafficked weight-loss drugs. Officials estimated the street value of the finished products at over £250,000.

The operation, led by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Criminal Enforcement Unit alongside Northamptonshire Police, targeted a production facility on the outskirts of Northampton. Over the course of two days, officers discovered more than 2,000 unlicensed tirzepatide (sold under the brand name Mounjaro) and retatrutide pens—the latter not yet licensed anywhere in the world.

Investigators also found large quantities of packaging materials, advanced manufacturing equipment, and £20,000 in cash linked to the operation. The MHRA confirmed that this is the first illicit manufacturing site for weight-loss medicines ever found in the UK, and the largest single seizure of its kind globally.

According to the MHRA, the facility was based on an industrial estate and used for the mass production, packaging, and distribution of unlicensed and potentially lethal drugs.

Andy Morling, head of the MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit, urged the public to be "extremely cautious" when purchasing medication online.

"There are no guarantees about what these products contain, and some may even be contaminated with toxic substances," he warned.

Morling described the discovery as a "landmark result" and a "major blow to the illegal trade", adding: "These products are untested, unauthorised, and potentially deadly. By shutting down this organised criminal network and preventing tens of thousands of dangerous products from entering circulation, we've averted a serious threat to public health."

He also highlighted the scale of the international problem, saying there is "an illicit global market that endangers patients, enriches organised criminals, and undermines legitimate healthcare."

Currently, around 2.5 million people in the UK are prescribed legal versions of the weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Wegovy, meaning nearly one in 20 adults is using one of the treatments.

However, the black market remains flooded with counterfeit versions falsely labelled as these brands or as the experimental drug retatrutide.

The Johnson Partnership, Derby