Key Summary
- UK Border Force has seized 18,316 illegal weight loss and diabetes medications from January 2024 to June 2025
- Criminals are trying to smuggle hundreds of illicit weight loss products to supply a growing black market
- Unregulated online sellers, beauty retailers and social media platforms are increasingly being used to sell counterfeit weight loss jabs
With Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lily announcing a 170 percent price hike in the UK from September, online pharmacy Chemist4U has warned that it could drive patients to buy weight loss injections from unregulated sellers.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Chemist4U to the UK Border Force shows that approximately 18,316 illegal weight loss and diabetes medications were seized by the force between January 2024 and June 2025.
Large-scale smuggling is going on, with criminals attempting to import hundreds of illicit weight loss products to supply a growing black market.
The FOI data also shows that Heathrow airport security staff have intercepted people attempting to smuggle potentially counterfeit Mounjaro pens hidden on their bodies during searches.
Unregulated online sellers, beauty retailers and social media platforms are increasingly being used to distribute counterfeit weight loss jabs.
The online pharmacy warns that these products may be unlicenced, contaminated or stored improperly, and fraught with serious health risks.
Jason Murphy, a weight loss injection specialist and Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U, said, "The surge in smuggled weight loss injections shows how criminals are exploiting rising demand."
He warned that these unlicensed products are unsafe and that the users are putting their lives at risk.
"Buying weight loss injections on the black market is like playing Russian roulette with your health. Fake pens aren’t just illegal, they could be contaminated, expired or completely ineffective,” he said.
Chemist4U has published a switching guide for those considering moving to Wegovy, a less expensive GLP-1 weight loss injection.
Murphy said, "Patients must be cautious. We urge them to only use regulated pharmacies to protect their health.”
Chemist4U has offered some safety tips to patients buying weight loss injections online.
Registered online pharmacies in England, Wales and Scotland must display the GPhC's internet pharmacy logo on their website.
Alongside the GPhC logo, the pharmacy should display its unique registration number. Patients can use this number to verify the pharmacy's credentials.
"Never take medication without consulting a healthcare professional. Certified prescribers like those at Chemist4U will review your medical history and advise you before prescribing any weight loss treatment," it said.
Double-check prescription details and ensure the name and dose on the injection pen match what the healthcare provider has prescribed.
