Fake weight loss injections with dirty needles being sent to NI

Illegal weight loss injections with dirty needles are being sold over social media and sent to people in Northern Ireland, a BBC investigation has found.

BBC News NI made test purchases of syringes which claimed to contain semaglutide, a prescription-only drug, via Facebook from sellers based in England.

When tested, the liquid was not semaglutide but did contain carnitine – a supplement that can be bought on the high street.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was working at an international level to root out criminal gangs selling illicit jabs manufactured in unhygienic labs.

So-called skinny jabs are prescribed weight loss injections that work by making you feel fuller and less hungry.

In Great Britain, semaglutide is available on the NHS as part of a weight management programme.

However, in Northern Ireland it is not as there is no specialist weight management service, but it is available on private prescription.

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland said people were putting themselves at serious risk buying from sellers on social media sites.

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Source: BBC News, 14 April 2025