Fasial Tariq, co-founder of Paradox Metaverse dubbed “Ponzi” by crypto researcher Coffeezilla, has been linked to what UK authorities are calling the world’s largest seizure of illegal weight-loss drugs.
Summary
- UK authorities have seized £250,000 worth of illegal weight loss drugs linked to the founder of a crypto game.
- Fasial Tariq was linked to companies operating from the raided Northampton premises.
- Coffeezilla previously labeled Paradox Metaverse as Ponzi after investigating the project.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency raided an industrial estate unit in Northampton.
They seized retatrutide (nicknamed the “Godzilla” of weight loss jabs) along with £20,000 ($27,000) in cash, raw chemical ingredients and manufacturing equipment.
The street value of the seized drugs reached £250,000 ($335,000). Paradox Metaverse, founded by brothers Amio Talio and Fasial Tariq.
They also landed a livestream with IShowSpeed, a streamer with over 43 million followers, before Coffeezilla exposed the project as a scam.
An investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian traced connections between the raided facilities and Tariq’s crypto companies.
Company records link Tariq to raided facility
The Guardian discovered that Tariq served as a director of the company Wholesale Supplements Limited, the company registered in the raided industrial unit.
Investigators discovered that customer orders for weight loss injections were processed through Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv, which shared an address with another company that included Tariq’s name: Vantage Commercials Group Limited.
A link at the bottom of the Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv website redirected visitors to Paradox Labs, a site previously filed as Paradox Studios, the development studio behind Paradox Metaverse. The web trail connected the illegal drug operation directly to Tariq’s crypto gaming project.
Locals reported that several high-end vehicles were frequently parked outside the industrial unit. The Guardian noted that this may be linked to Onyx, the Northampton luxury car rental company that Tariq and his brother operated.
A source who claimed to have inside knowledge of the weight-loss drug trade told investigators that the products are manufactured at low cost with minimal guarantees of cleanliness and dosage measurement. The illegal operation remains active on Telegram despite the seizure last year.
Paradox Metaverse called “Ponzi” by researchers
Coffeezilla interviewed the orchestrators of Paradox Metaverse and concluded that the project operated as a Ponzi scheme. The cryptocurrency researcher labeled the brothers “scammers” after examining the project’s structure and promises.
Paradox Metaverse was promoted as a cryptocurrency-based game, but faced accusations of making unsustainable performance promises to investors. The project took advantage of IShowSpeed’s large following to gain credibility before crypto researchers exposed the operation.
No crimes or charges have been filed against Tariq. The MHRA raid focused on seizing illegal pharmaceuticals rather than investigating connections to cryptocurrency projects.
Retatrutide is a newer generation of GLP-1 weight loss drugs that are sold without proper licensing or medical supervision.
