Ozempic Sheffield: Five arrested and weight loss pen, vapes and drugs seized in major police operation

South Yorkshire Police officers were joined by trading standards and council parking services in Burngreave, Sheffield, as part of Operation Steel.

In the freezing temperatures on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, officers seized 1,182 illegal vapes, worth £11,820, from three local businesses. Those vapes were seized for having liquid tanks exceeding the 2ml legal limit.

134 packs of counterfeit or illegally smuggled cigarettes worth £807 were also seized, as well as packs of shisha tobacco, oral tobacco and Sildenafil tablets.

Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Sheffield and South Yorkshire directly to your phone.

Officers found weight loss pens known as Ozempic - which should only be accessed via a prescription - in one business. The products were also confiscated.

A raid on a local address led to a quantity of cash and numerous devices being seized.

Two vehicles - a Mitsubishi Pajara, which has had no road tax since February 2024, and a BMW 3 Series - were seized.

Inspector Alec Gibbons, who leads the neighbourhood policing team in North East Sheffield, said: “Operation Steel brings out the best in partnership working and Wednesday’s freezing temperatures were no match for our dedicated teams who secured some really positive results.

“Our operation was supported by a civilian drug dog which allowed us to carry out 12 stop searches and led to two people being reported on summons for possession of Class B and Class A drugs.

“A joint operation between the RSPCA and our Dog Legislation Officers saw us act on intelligence to visit 14 homes where we believed there to be concern for the dogs’ welfare. We offered words of advice to owners who were found to be keeping dogs in poor conditions.

“We also seized a suspected Pitbull that was found to be roaming alone on Robey Street, enquiries are ongoing to ascertain who its owner is.

“I hope Wednesday’s work re-emphasises our commitment to tackling all forms of criminality in Sheffield, but I want to make it clear that our efforts are not a ‘one-off’. We work seven days a week, 365 days a year to keep our communities safe – and we’re stronger with your help.

“If you suspect criminal activity is happening near where you live, work, or regularly visit in Sheffield, report it to us online or by calling 101. Together, we can make the city a safer place for everyone”.

Operation Steel led to five arrests on the day. This included three men being arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Two of the men, aged 20 and 21, remain in police custody, whereas a 36-year-old was released on police bail.

The other two arrests came as part of ‘fail to appear’ warrants issued by the courts and executed by officers.

Furthermore, speed enforcement zones set up in the area resulted in 29 driving offences being recorded, including one driver travelling at 46mph on a 30mph road.