Irish people warned against buying weight-loss drugs online amid surge in fake Ozempic

Irish people have been warned against purchasing weight-loss drugs and other medical products online after Revenue reported earlier this week that there has been a surge in the number of such items being seized by customs recently.

There have been multiple seizures in recent weeks of illegal medical products which were purchased online and packaged as the hugely popular weight-loss medications Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. These seizures by Revenue involved the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Given the significant increase in the popularity of these medications, Irish people have been warned that when purchasing such medical products online that they may not be safe or even effective. 

Additionally, Revenue has advised that consumers should be cautious as they may be at the loss of their money if the products they order are seized. 

READ NEXT: Holding out for a hero? National campaign to recruit firefighters is launched!

As of the end of May, Revenue has seized almost 11,000 individual weight-loss products this year in comparison to 2,300 last year.

In one recent operation, a total of 85 shipments of illicit weight-loss products were seized by Revenue. Among the products seized were items packaged as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro as well as Tirzepatide.

Another operation which occurred over a two-week period at premises in Dublin and the Midlands led to 635 illicit items being discovered by Revenue. On this occasion, the parcels contained medical products packaged as Semaglutide, which again can be used for weight management.

In a statement from Revenue, they said that this was found alongside "substantial volumes of previously unknown Botox-type and tanning products believed to have been sourced via social media."

The statement added: "These seizures reflect an emerging trend noted by Revenue officers, particularly those based at the national mail centres and courier hubs, who have seen a significant increase in packages containing mail order prescription-only medical products.

"The vast majority of packages intercepted contain weight-loss products addressed to private individuals who have purchased these products online. Larger consignments are occasionally detected at ports and airports."