The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has targeted two suspected illegal weight-loss drug production sites in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
“The sophistication of these setups shows the lengths criminal networks will go to imitate legitimate pharmaceutical production,” said Andy Morling, Deputy Director and Head of the Criminal Enforcement Unit at MHRA.
Officials uncovered what they describe as cleanroom-style operations designed to produce and package unlicensed medicines.
What two sites in the East Midlands were raided?
MHRA officers from the Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU), working with Lincolnshire Police, Immigration Enforcement, and Lincolnshire Trading Standards, raided a farm near Sleaford and a residential property in Grantham.
The operation resulted in the seizure of nearly 2,000 doses of unlicensed weight-loss medicines, suspected pharmaceutical ingredients, commercial vehicles, packaging materials, and high-spec production equipment consistent with cleanroom-style setups.
The products included unlicensed compounds such as retatrutide, tirzepatide, and other peptide-based medicines.
Background context of why the raid occurred
The raids follow a landmark October 2025 operation in Northampton, when the CEU dismantled the UK’s first illegal weight-loss medicine manufacturing facility.
The operation was described at the time as the largest seizure of trafficked weight-loss medicines worldwide.
Zubir Ahmed warned the public against buying medicines from unregulated sources, noting the serious risks posed by products manufactured in unlicensed facilities. “Safe, effective, licensed treatments must come from a registered pharmacy with a valid prescription,” he said.
How does MHRA conduct investigations?
The MHRA’s CEU uses intelligence, online disruption, covert investigative techniques, and financial investigations to tackle organised crime in medicines.
Its accredited financial investigators are authorised under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activity.
Members of the public experiencing side effects from medicines are advised to report them via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
The agency also provides guidance on safely purchasing medicines online through its #FakeMeds campaign.