LONDON, May 29 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Officers fromtheMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA)Criminal Enforcement Unithave arrested two people after raiding a countryestatenear Northampton, recovering around 12,000 doses of unlicensed weight loss medicinesinthe largest ever seizure of such products by the agency.
During the operation,which was carried out last night (28 May 2026) with the support of NorthamptonshirePolice, twomalesuspects, both aged 29,were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.Enquiries are ongoing.
The property is believed to have been used as a large-scale facility to manufacture, assemble, and distribute unlicensed weight loss medicines, including retatrutide and tirzepatide, as well as peptide products.
Officersseized substantial quantities of packaging materials and what are believed to be pharmaceutical substances used in theillicitmanufacture of the products.
Andy Morling, Head of theMHRA'sCriminalEnforcementUnit,said:
Last night's hugely successful operation demonstrates, once again, the MHRA's unwavering commitment to ensuring there is no hiding place for those who cynically put the public's healthat risk for profit. Medicines regulation isn't discretionary - it exists to protect people.
That's why we continue to target the traffickers who seek to bypass that protection - taking down the infrastructure that supports them and creating a hostile environment for their exploitative and harmful trade. In addition to disrupting an organised criminal group, I'm confident that dismantling this illicit production facility will have prevented significantpublicharm.
I'm enormously grateful to Northamptonshire Police for their support in this operation.
Thisoperation is the latest in a series of successful enforcement actions by theMHRAtargeting the illegal supply of weight loss medicines. Over recent months, theagency'sCriminalEnforcementUnithas carried out several raids, dismantling criminal networks, and removing significant quantities of unlicensed and potentially dangerous products from circulation.
The MHRA remains committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit public demand for these medicines and will continue to use the full range of its powers to protect the public.
TheMHRA #FakeMeds websiteoffers helpful guidance and advice for staying safe when buying medicines online.
Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from a medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly tothe MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
Notes to editors
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The Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) is the MHRA's in-house law enforcement function, leading theagency's response to medicines crime. Its strategic mission is to protect the public, maintain confidence in regulation and uphold the rule of law through preventing offending,disruptingcriminalactivity andbringing offenders tojustice.It uses the full range of its powers and capabilities, including intelligence analysis, online disruption, covert techniques, and asset recovery to tackle criminal threats to the UK public, working closely with the police and law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas.
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The MHRAis responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
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The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
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For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
