Malaysia

Syndicate selling RM5.6 million worth of weight loss drugs busted

Sibutramine is a type of medicine used to help lose weight and can only be supplied by a doctor or obtained from a pharmacy with a doctor's prescription.

Updated 3 months ago · Published on 16 Jun 2026 11:15AM

Syndicate selling RM5.6 million worth of weight loss drugs busted
The value of the seizure is estimated to exceed RM5.6 million - June 16, 2026

A SYNDICATE selling unregistered medicines containing sibutramine online, involving a logistics hub service operator, was recently busted in Section 19, Petaling Jaya.

The raid on June 3 was carried out by the Selangor State Health Department (JKNS) Pharmacy Enforcement Branch (CPF) in collaboration with the Pharmacy Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM), together with the Pahang, Penang and Kedah CPFs.

Sibutramine is a type of medicine used to help lose weight and can only be supplied by a doctor or obtained from a pharmacy with a doctor's prescription.

JKNS Director, Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin, said the operation began at 11 am following a complaint regarding the sale of unregistered products with the KKM Drug Control Authority (PBKD).

According to her, the logistics hub service operator company involved is believed to be a location for the storage and distribution of unregistered products containing sibutramine to consumers in Malaysia.

"We successfully seized three types of unregistered products containing sibutramine in addition to 21 types of unregistered foreign-branded health supplement products.

"The value of the seizure is estimated to exceed RM5.6 million," she said in a statement.

She said that the use of sibutramine without a doctor's supervision can cause serious side effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate.

She added that it also poses a risk of cardiovascular complications, including stroke and heart attack.

Meanwhile, Ummi Kalthom said that throughout 2025, CPF JKNS conducted inspections on 13 companies operating logistics hub services in Selangor and successfully seized unregistered products, including foreign-branded supplements exceeding RM30 million.

"Investigations have shown the involvement of sellers from foreign countries who use logistics hub service operators as storage and distribution locations for unregistered products.

"The products are sold to consumers in Malaysia using various e-commerce platforms," ​​she said.

She stressed that the sale of unregistered products violates Regulation 7(1)(a) of the Drug and Cosmetics Control Regulations 1984. – June 16, 2026

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