<div id="readability-page-1">Hong Kong customs have seized more than 14,000 weight-loss injections bound for Macau, days after the South China Morning Post exclusively reported on their suspected illegal sale without prescriptions in the city. The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday that injections, tobacco products, and other smuggled goods seized from a river trade vessel at Black Point, Tuen Mun, last Wednesday were estimated to be worth about HK$56 million (US$7.2 million). Samples of the 14,080 slimming jabs, displayed to the press in boxes labelled “Mounjaro” by Japan’s Tanabe Pharma, were shown to reporters. Customs said each jab retails for around HK$200. “These [jabs] have gained popularity in recent years … we’ve seen a rising trend in smuggling cases involving slimming injections,” Woo Suet-yi, an investigator with the Syndicate Crimes Investigation Bureau, said. She said customs had encountered various brands of slimming injections in previous smuggling cases, but did not specify how many were involved. Woo said customs was investigating the authenticity of the seized products and had not ruled out possible syndicated operations.  The river trade vessel, bound for Macau, was intercepted, with its cargo found loosely packed in the ship’s compartment. Personnel on the vessel failed to produce a complete manifest. Other goods uncovered included beauty products, cigarettes, tobacco, watches, mobile phones, tablet computers, clothing and suspected pharmaceutical items. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, anyone found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of HK$2 million. Slimming jabs are prescribed by doctors to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. They are classified as Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and may only be sold in registered pharmacies by or under the supervision of a pharmacist upon presentation of a valid prescription. Major brands of such injections approved for use in Hong Kong include Wegovy, Ozempic and Saxenda, all developed by Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk, as well as Mounjaro by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. An investigation by the SCMP found that these prescription-only medicines were available for purchase on some online platforms and at a local pharmacy without a doctor’s approval, raising concerns about potential health risks. In an earlier interview with the SCMP, Dr Francis Chow Chun-chung, founding president of the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity, cautioned against buying such medications through unverified channels. He raised concerns about their ingredients, storage and transport conditions. Woo urged the public not to buy or use pharmaceutical or beauty injections of unclear origin. “We’ve noticed that criminals have attempted to conceal large quantities of undeclared cargo among declared goods in a bid to evade officers’ scrutiny,” Woo said. “We believe the smugglers were trying to avoid import-export controls and dodge relevant taxes.”</div>

<p>Hong Kong customs seized over 14,000 smuggled weight-loss injections valued at approximately HK$56 million (US$7.2 million) destined for Macau. The injections, labeled "Mounjaro" by Japan's Tanabe Pharma, were found on a river trade vessel along with other smuggled goods. Customs is investigating the authenticity of the products and potential syndicate operations, as these slimming jabs require a prescription in Hong Kong. Concerns have been raised about the illegal sale of such medications online and their associated health risks.</p>

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Hong Kong customs seizes 14,080 smuggled slimming jabs bound for Macau