Almost £1million worth of Mounjaro was stolen from a healthcare distribution centre before three men were tracked down and jailed.16:51, 08 Jul 2026Updated 17:00, 08 Jul 2026Three men have been jailed after almost £1million worth of weight loss drugs were stolen from a healthcare distribution centre in St Albans.‌A total of 79 boxes of Mounjaro, worth £944,544.89, were stolen after burglars broke into a healthcare distribution centre on Handley Page Way on January 24.‌Mark Harding, 55, Peter Costello, 44, and Robert Townsend, 59, were each jailed for five years and three months at St Albans Crown Court after pleading guilty to burglary.‌Police said Harding and Costello first forced entry to the premises and blacked out internal cameras before stealing several boxes of the weight-loss drug from a refrigerated storage unit.Less than two hours later, they returned to the site with Townsend and stole more than 70 additional boxes of Mounjaro.The trio were identified through phone records, CCTV footage and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Harding was also linked to the burglary through distinctive clothing seen on CCTV shortly before the offence and again inside the distribution centre while it was taking place.‌Police arrested the men after executing warrants on February 11, recovering more than £60,000 in cash hidden among picnic baskets and extractor fans at the homes of Harding and Townsend.Harding and Townsend were also handed concurrent nine-month prison sentences after admitting possessing criminal property.Detective Sergeant Will Daglish said: “I am pleased that Townsend, Costello and Harding pleaded guilty in court and admitted these large-scale offences.‌“This was a very serious crime - weight loss drugs must be stored correctly and are dangerous if they are not administered in the right way."By breaking into the fridges storing the Mounjaro drug, their actions posed a serious health risk to the public.“This was evidently a pre-planned and calculated burglary, and they will now serve several years behind bars.”‌Lawyer Sophia Malik, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “This was a carefully planned burglary involving high-value pharmaceutical products."The defendants went to significant lengths to avoid being caught, but the evidence gathered through phone location data, automatic number plate recognition records and CCTV clearly linked them with the offences.“Thanks to the strength of the case built by the prosecution and the police, all three men admitted their involvement and will now serve prison sentences.”Article continues belowThis is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link . You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage .