Authorities in the United Kingdom have uncovered the largest recorded seizure of illegal weight-loss injections at a Georgian country house in Northamptonshire. In May, officers from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raided Moulton Grange, a Grade II-listed stately home valued at approximately £3 million and commonly used as a wedding and corporate events venue. The operation led to the confiscation of around 12,000 doses of unlicensed weight-loss medicines.
The MHRA investigation revealed that the 12-bedroom mansion, set on 28 acres, was functioning as an illicit manufacturing and distribution facility for counterfeit weight-loss products. Among the substances seized were injections containing retatrutide and tirzepatide, as well as peptide-based products. While tirzepatide is an active ingredient in the approved medication Mounjaro, marketed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, retatrutide has not yet received UK regulatory approval.
Two men, both aged 29, were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, which govern the unlawful manufacture and supply of medicines. The MHRA described the raid as the largest of its kind and emphasized that dismantling the operation would help prevent significant harm to public health.
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, underscored the agency’s dedication to enforcing medicine regulations, stating that there should be no refuge for those who put public safety at risk for profit. The agency’s ongoing efforts to curb the illegal trade in weight-loss drugs have included previous seizures, such as 2,000 pens confiscated in a separate raid at a warehouse in Northampton last October.
Company records from Companies House indicate that Faiz Hameed and Rashda Hameed are persons of significant control of Moulton Grange Limited, the entity owning the property. Faiz Hameed has a prior history of regulatory issues; two years ago, he was fined £312,000 for operating unlicensed houses of multiple occupancy.
The MHRA’s operation at Moulton Grange highlights ongoing concerns regarding the circulation of counterfeit and unlicensed pharmaceutical products, particularly in the rapidly expanding market for weight-loss treatments. Authorities continue to investigate the full scope of the production and distribution network connected to the Northamptonshire estate.