Three charged with stealing £1m of Mounjaro

Three men have been charged after a large amount of the weight‑loss drug Mounjaro, valued at about £1m, was stolen from a distribution site.

Hertfordshire Police said the drug was taken during a break-in at Phoenix Healthcare Distribution in St Albans, shortly before 18:40 GMT on 24 January.

At Hatfield Magistates' Court, Peter Costello, 44, and Robert Townsend, 58, both from Sutton, along with Mark Harding, 55, from Feltham, in south-west London, were charged with burglary and acquiring and using or possessing criminal property, the force said.

They were remanded ahead of a hearing scheduled for St Albans Crown Court on 17 March.

A woman in her 40s from Sutton was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and fraud by false representation and has been released on bail.

The distribution centre provides medication to more than 6,700 clients across the UK, including community pharmacies.

Det Ch Insp Tony Fontenelle added: "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.

"I urge anyone who is offered weight-loss products at unusually low prices, or by unfamiliar companies or individuals, to contact the police."

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