POLICE have raided beauty salons flogging fake fat jabs, in a major crackdown on black market sales.
North Wales police obtained warrants to raid three premises suspected of selling – dubbed the “Godzilla” of weight loss injections.
Fake and illegal jabs were seized in three properties in Wrexham and FlintshireCredit: Getty
Officers also found counterfeit versions of Mounjaro and Ozempic.
Three people were arrested, on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
Initial studies claim is twice as effective as , but the jab – developed by pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly – is still undergoing clinical testing and hasn’t been released to the public yet.
The crackdown in North Wales is part of larger investigation into illegal weight loss medication advertised online and sold in beauty salons in Wrexham and Flintshire.
Detective Inspector Claire Roberts said the investigation, which is still “in its early stages”, is “ongoing”.
“We are urging people to be cautious and ask anyone with information in connection with the sale of counterfeit weight-loss medication to contact us,” she said.
“You can speak to us by calling 101 or via our website.”
Last year, an illegal production factory was shut down in Northamptonshire after police found more than 2,000 and Mounjaro pens, alongside raw chemicals to make the drugs and thousands of empty cartridges.
Officers seized – making it the largest ever weight loss drug bust to date.
A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned people against purchasing retatrutide online or in clinics, as the drug is illegal.
Taking it could put also users in danger, as pens marked retatrutide may not contain the drug at all.
“Retatrutide is in clinical development and has not been approved for UK use”, they stated.
“Outside of authorised clinical trials, any products being sold in the UK that claim to contain Retatrutide (and they may not) are being sold and supplied outside the legal supply chain and are potentially dangerous to your health.”
Rick Lines, head of the substance misuse programme at Public Health Wales, warned patients against buying weight loss jabs online.
Counterfeit retatrutide discovered in a UK lab in Northamptonshire last yearCredit: MHRA
He said: “People should be aware that buying prescription medicines from unofficial sources online or through social media groups carries serious risks.
“There is no guarantee that what you think you are buying is what you are actually getting.
“Some drugs sold through unofficial sources – including those advertised for weight loss – may contain the wrong ingredients, dangerous levels of active substances, or no active ingredient at all.
“Using prescription medicines without proper medical supervision can lead to serious side effects, unexpected interactions with other drugs, or harm to your health.
“Anyone concerned about their weight or any other health issue should speak to a GP or pharmacist for safe and trusted advice.”
The MHRA spokesperson stressed products sold through dodgy channels don’t go through the same rigorous checks that genuine prescription meds would.
They may be fake, contaminated, contain incorrect doses or powerful ingredients not listed on the packaging.
“Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not approved for use in UK,” the spokesperson said.
“Products bought in this way will not have been tested to ensure they meet the MHRA’s strict safety and quality standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.
“The MHRA has previously issued warnings after seizures of falsified Ozempic pens were found to contain insulin.”
Taking insulin if you’re not diabetic can be very dangerous as it can make blood sugar levels too low and plunge you into a coma.
The news follows the MHRA announcing that a record number of illegal fat jabs, erectile dysfunction pills and fake drugs were seized last year by UK officials.
Almost 20 million doses of were confiscated by government agencies in 2025.
The combined street value of the products is thought to be worth more than £45 million, according to the health watchdog.
Unlicensed sedatives and were the most common item seized, at 9.9 million doses.
Over 4.4 million doses of unlicensed , 4.1 million powerful painkillers and 5,700 fake fat jabs were also captured by the MHRA.
Reports of fake slimming jabs in the UK first emerged in August 2023.
Unlicensed sedatives and sleeping pills were the most common items seized by the MHRA last yearCredit: MHRA
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
