Ozempic: Man arrested in ‘skinny jab’ ingredient raids

A man has been arrested on suspicion of illegally selling “Skinny Jab” online.

Police searched a house near Hull and seized a vial believed to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in “Hollywood weight loss drug” Ozempic.

A recent BBC Three investigation found that they are being sold without a prescription on social media and in salons.

Police have arrested a man in his 30s from Goole, East Yorkshire, on suspicion of selling unlicensed medicines.

BBC Newsbeat was invited to accompany the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Humberside Police to the raid.

They said the operation, which took place at two addresses in Humberside, was the first to target the supply of semaglutide on the black market.

After a briefing to discuss the overall operation, the teams split up and headed to their respective addresses. Newsbeat was taken to a quiet cul-de-sac not far from Hull.

Once the man was taken into custody in a police van, officers searched the house for evidence.

Although I was not able to accompany him inside the premises, I could see him taking pictures through the window.

The search was not just for semaglutide, but also for any evidence of the suspect’s life.

MHRA investigator Kate Smith told Newsbeat the team was looking for anything that could suggest a “criminal lifestyle” funded by “illicitly selling these products online”. He said he was looking for everything.

Britain’s new medicines regulator said it had begun cracking down on black market sellers of weight loss drugs and products such as Botox and Melanotan after demand for them soared.

Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, is usually prescribed for diabetes and works by lowering blood sugar levels and slowing food’s exit from the stomach.

For doctors to administer it for weight loss, you must have a BMI of 30 or higher and have a weight-related health condition.

Doctors say it can have serious side effects if ingested incorrectly, and unregulated versions run the risk of being toxic.

Andy Mooring, the MHRA’s deputy director of criminal enforcement, said the sale of the product on the market was still new and fairly “small”, but authorities were planning further raids.

He is also working to remove online advertising and said authorities believe “powerful medicines” can cause harm.

“The worst thing that can happen to you is to get scammed and lose your money,” he says. “And the worst that can happen is you end up in the hospital.”