German customs officials have seized several tons of illegal weight-loss products containing a banned appetite suppressant in raids in Hamburg and the neighboring state of Lower Saxony, authorities said Thursday.
The investigation targets a woman suspected of illegally sourcing the products from Turkey since at least 2023 and selling them online across Europe, according to the Hamburg Customs Investigation Office. Officials said the suspect is believed to have generated millions of euros in revenue as part of a criminal network.
Customs officers confiscated large quantities of weight-loss teas, coffees and capsules that were found to contain sibutramine, an appetite suppressant once prescribed for severe obesity but banned across Europe since 2010 due to serious health risks, including heart attacks and strokes.
Authorities also discovered tons of illegally imported cosmetic products during searches of warehouses and garages.
More than 15,000 individual shipments linked to the operation were identified, customs officials said. The 41-year-old suspect was detained during coordinated raids on Wednesday by specialized customs units.
Investigators are also pursuing cases against 11 additional suspects accused of participating in the marketing and distribution of the smuggled goods.
Customs authorities estimated that the weight-loss products containing sibutramine seized this week alone have a black-market value exceeding 600,000 euros, while the illegal cosmetics are valued at more than 500,000 euros.
Among the items confiscated was tea laced with sennoside B, a laxative ingredient that is classified in Germany as a pharmacy-only product.
More than 120 officers took part in the operation, and several trucks and vans were required to transport the seized goods, customs officials said.
Turkish Minute with reporting from Agence France-Presse