Three men have been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for stealing almost £1 million worth of Mounjaro, a highly sought-after weight-loss drug, from a distribution centre in St Albans. Mark Harding, 55, Peter Costello, 44, and Robert Townsend, 59, pleaded guilty to burglary at St Albans Crown Court.
Details of the Raid
The burglary occurred on January 24 at the Handley Page Way facility. Harding and Costello broke in, disabled the CCTV cameras, and stole 79 boxes of Mounjaro from a refrigerated unit, valued at £944,544.89. Less than two hours later, they returned with Townsend and took over 70 more boxes.
Investigation and Arrest
Police tracked the trio using phone records, CCTV footage, and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Harding was identified by distinctive clothing seen on CCTV before and during the crime. Officers arrested the men on February 11, seizing over £60,000 in cash hidden among picnic baskets and extractor fans at Harding and Townsend's homes.
Sentencing and Additional Charges
Harding and Townsend received concurrent nine-month sentences for possessing criminal property. Detective Sergeant Will Daglish stated: 'This was a very serious crime - weight loss drugs must be stored correctly and are dangerous if not administered properly. By breaking into the fridges, their actions posed a serious health risk to the public.'
Prosecution Comment
Lawyer Sophia Malik from the Crown Prosecution Service added: 'This was a carefully planned burglary involving high-value pharmaceutical products. The defendants went to significant lengths to avoid being caught, but the evidence clearly linked them with the offences.'
