Brazil police arrest woman for illegal tirzepatide weight‑loss drug sales in São Paulo

The São Paulo Civil Police's Drug Investigations Division (DISE) carried out operation “Ponto de Encontro” on 20 March, arresting a 32‑year‑old woman in Americana for selling tirzepatide, a medication used for obesity and diabetes, as a weight‑loss product. The suspect, identified as a hairdresser, was stopped at a gasoline station while awaiting a buyer. Police seized a white Volkswagen Up, a thermal box containing four ampoules of tirzepatide, 39 syringes, a mobile phone, a card‑reading machine and a credit‑card terminal. Subsequent searches at her residence in Sumaré uncovered an additional 18 ampoules and more syringes, totaling 22 ampoules seized.

Investigators say the product was smuggled from Paraguay and marketed via a closed messaging‑app group, with prices ranging from about R$ 900 to R$ 2,500 per ampoule. The woman confessed to selling at least one ampoule for R$ 1,000. She has been charged with a crime against public health under article 273 of the Brazilian Penal Code and is held at the Monte Mor public prison pending trial. The operation continues to identify further participants in the illegal distribution network.