Hong Kong woman, 30, arrested over illegal sale of slimming injection

Hong Kong authorities have arrested a 30-year-old woman following an undercover sting operation targeting the illegal online sale of prescription weight-loss drugs. The Department of Health acted on a tip-off, leading to a transaction conducted through an instant messaging app where the suspect offered anti-obesity injections. The seized product was identified as a Mounjaro injection pen, containing the active ingredient tirzepatide and manufactured by the US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. Notably, the product bore Japanese labeling, indicating it was not the version registered for use in Hong Kong. Tirzepatide, the drug in Mounjaro, is a potent GLP-1 receptor agonist used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, and its sale is tightly controlled.

The case underscores the growing, global black market for in-demand GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro and Ozempic, driven by shortages and high demand for weight loss. In Hong Kong, tirzepatide is classified as a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, meaning it can only be used under a doctor's supervision and dispensed by a registered pharmacist with a prescription. The Department of Health stated the product is suspected to be an unregistered pharmaceutical item, and their investigation is ongoing. This arrest signals a crackdown on the unauthorized and potentially dangerous distribution of these powerful medications, which carry risks of serious side effects when used without medical oversight.