Fake weight-loss injection pens worth £2 million have been seized in a raid on a “filthy warehouse” in Birmingham. Officers found more than 12,000 counterfeit retatrutide and tirzepatide pens at the industrial unit, along with packaging for around 30,000 more products.
The raid was a joint operation by West Midlands Police and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Among the pens were products labelled retatrutide, an experimental weight-loss drug known online as “reta”. Counterfeit versions have been promoted on social media despite the drug being unavailable for public use.
Unapproved drug poses serious risks
Retatrutide is being studied as the first drug to tackle weight loss in three distinct ways. But it has not been approved anywhere in the world, and its developer, Eli Lilly, says it is only available through its clinical trials. Products bearing its name have been found online and can put people's health at serious risk.
Tim Duffield, Head Intelligence at the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit, said: “We are tackling the organised criminal gangs whose illegal trade in unauthorised medicines puts people at risk of serious harm.
“Our officers seized around £2 million worth of fake weight loss medicines from a filthy warehouse on an industrial estate. These products have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness, and there is no guarantee of what they contain or whether they have been contaminated with harmful substances.”
Series of raids on illegal medicines
The seizure was the latest in a series of MHRA raids targeting unauthorised weight-loss medicines. In May, two people were arrested after officers raided a country estate believed to have been used to make, assemble and distribute unlicensed weight-loss drugs. They recovered around 12,000 doses, as well as packaging and suspected pharmaceutical substances.
Another 2,000 doses awaiting dispatch were seized in February, alongside manufacturing equipment, suspected ingredients, packaging and commercial vehicles. In October 2025, the MHRA dismantled the first illicit weight-loss medicine production facility discovered in the UK. Officers seized 5,000 unauthorised retatrutide and tirzepatide pens, thousands of empty pens and raw chemical ingredients.
Duffield added: “Retatrutide has not been authorised for use in the UK. Products being sold as retatrutide outside legitimate clinical trials are being supplied illegally and could pose serious risks to public health. We urge people to avoid buying weight-loss medicines from unregulated sources.
“Anyone considering GLP-1 treatment should speak to a healthcare professional and only obtain medicines from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.”
