Three men have been charged in connection with stolen weight loss drugs in St Albans.
This comes after a large quantity of Mounjaro was stolen from Phoenix Healthcare Distribution in St Albans on Saturday 24 January, just before 18:40.
Peter Costello, aged 44 of Sydney Road, Sutton, Mark Harding, aged 55 of Chertsey Road, Feltham, and Robert Townsend, aged 58 of Lower Pillory Down, Sutton, were charged with burglary and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property on Wednesday 11 February.
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They appeared at Hatfield Magistrates’ Court on Friday 13 February and were remanded ahead of a hearing at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday 17 March.
A fourth person – a woman in her 40s from Sutton – was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and fraud by false representation. She has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Tony Fontenelle said: ‘Thanks to diligent work from officers, we have now successfully secured three charges, and the case will now progress through the court system.
‘I would also like to issue a reminder that these weight loss drugs must be stored correctly and are dangerous if they are not administered in the right way. These, along with other pharmaceutical items, should only be prescribed via a healthcare professional or bought through registered companies.’
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He urged anyone who is offered weight loss products at unusually low prices, or by unfamiliar companies or individuals, to contact the police.
Phoenix Healthcare Distribution is a full-line pharmaceutical wholesaler with coverage across the UK via a network of 12 depots.
It is part of Phoenix UK, which supports more than 6,700 community pharmacies, dispensing doctor practices and outpatient dispensing sites.
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Last year, a survey by online pharmacy MedExpress found that 21% of UK adults who had purchased weight loss jabs had done so from an unverified or illegal source.
A further 31% had considered buying unverified jabs and nearly half of these ‘high-risk users’ had encountered offers for illegal weight loss drugs on social media: 49.8% on TikTok, 47.9% on Instagram, and 49% on Facebook.
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