Police in Lanzhou of Northwest China's Gansu Province uncover a major illegal operation involving the production and sale of toxic weight loss coffee. Photo: CCTV

Police in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province, recently uncovered a major operation producing and selling toxic weight-loss coffee. Suspects added the banned substance sibutramine to coffee and marketed it as "slimming coffee" on e-commerce platforms. 

Several consumers suffered serious adverse reactions after consumption, CCTV News reported.

Sibutramine, a central nervous system suppressant, was banned globally in 2010 due to its severe cardiovascular side effects, including the risk of death. Medical experts warn that it poses grave health risks to consumers.

Working with cybersecurity department and e-commerce platforms, police shut down 22 online stores selling toxic and harmful coffee products, dismantled six criminal production and distribution sites, and seized over 130,000 bags of unsold toxic coffee. The total value of the seized goods exceeded 15 million yuan ($2.1 million).

Global Times-CCTV