Person found making fake tablets from machine in bedroom as watchdog warns of risks

Some 1,582 units of weight-loss drugs were seized last year, compared to just 40 in 2022

The Health Products Regulatory Authority has revealed an individual was prosecuted last year after a machine churning out fake tablets from a bedroom to unsuspecting customers was discovered.

The HPRA confirmed the detection as it revealed more than one million doses of illegal medicines were captured in 2024 — a 14% increase on 2023 — with high levels of anabolic steroids and weight-loss drugs. 

“Dangerous” fake medications are ordered online in the false belief these can boost strength or beauty, the regulator warned on Wednesday.

More than 203,000 doses of illegal anabolic steroids, used to build muscle, were seized, 20% more than the year before. HPRA director of compliance Grainne Power warn about the seized items: "They’re all dangerous because we don’t know what’s in them."

A large silver machine sat on the table behind her, looking like an unusual coffee-maker.

"This was detained as part of an investigation, this is for making tablets," she said. 

This was found in somebody’s bedroom in Ireland. It resulted in a significant prosecution for the HPRA. 

The group imported ingredients to make tablets, then sold them on in believable packaging, she explained.

“In this case it was body enhancements,” she said.

“They contained one ingredient but they were represented as a number of different products. The individuals making this product [were] not seeking to make quality and effective medicines.” 

“There’s nothing safe about those medicines,” she said.

“The way in which they tend to be used is outside medical supervision. Dosages aren’t managed, products are stacked.” 

She discussed “well-known” side-effects, including damage to organs, mood swings, hair loss and infertility for men.

There have been well-documented coroners’ cases over the years where unfortunately individuals have lost their lives as result of using these products.

Some 1,582 units of weight-loss drugs were seized, compared to just 40 in 2022.

Many tablets or patches claimed to be generic versions of GLP-1 drugs similar to Ozempic or Mounjaro. There are no generics for these new drugs.

“In the past, we have detained product — that doesn’t even have a label on it let alone a strength — containing powder being represented as GLP-1s,” she said.

They also see illegal imports of legitimate medicines, including more than 23,000 doses of the powerful pain-killer pregabalin.

“We have seized that here, so there has been a considerable uplift in the volume of pregabalin seized through 2022 and continuing into this year,” she said. “We’d be really quite concerned about that.” 

Ms Power emphasised the dark nature of this trade, saying: “Our own work here has linked the detention of many of these items to organised crime.” 

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She urged people to look past the cheaper costs or ease of online access to see these risks.

More than 2,500 e-commerce and social media pages were closed or had to change wording. Two prosecution cases were opened linked to importing.