Global crypto crime spotlight turns to Paradox Metaverse founder after links to illegal weight-loss drug bust

An investigation into a sprawling illegal weight-loss drug scheme has drawn renewed scrutiny to the Paradox Metaverse project, as crypto crime enforcement intensifies worldwide.

Guardian probe ties Fasial Tariq to Alluvi drug operation

A Guardian investigation has linked Northampton-based crypto entrepreneur Fasial Tariq to what authorities describe as the world’s largest illegal weight-loss drug operation. The findings emerged after enforcement officers raided a red-brick industrial unit in Northampton in late October, amid a broader surge in crypto-related crime.

During the raid, investigators seized thousands of unlicensed Alluvi-branded weight-loss pens, raw chemical ingredients, manufacturing equipment, and £20,000 in cash. Some of the seized pens contained retatrutide, a powerful GLP-1 agonist that remains in clinical trials and is not approved for medical use. However, despite the scale of the operation, no arrests have been made to date.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, confirmed it is investigating but has not publicly identified who ran the scheme. Moreover, the regulator has declined to comment on Tariq specifically, citing ongoing inquiries and the sensitivity of the case.

Corporate trail links Alluvi unit to Tariq’s ventures

Documents reviewed by The Guardian connect the raided industrial unit to Wholesale Supplements Limited, where Tariq serves as director. Customer order photographs indicate that Alluvi products were sold through a site called Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv, which later lost payment processing after Stripe terminated its services.

Companies House records show that Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv Limited had previously shared an address with Vantage Commercials Group Limited, another company once operated by Tariq. However, the most striking link emerges from branding on the Nutri Collectiv website, which redirects users to Paradox Labs, previously known as Paradox Studio, a crypto-focused venture founded by Tariq.

Paradox Labs launched Paradox Coin alongside a gaming-focused digital world called paradox metaverse, marketed as a play-to-earn blockchain game. Online critics and independent investigators later accused the project of operating like a scam, raising questions about its tokenomics and promotional tactics.

Coffeezilla clash and luxury lifestyle details

Crypto investigator Stephen Findeisen, better known as Coffeezilla, publicly challenged Tariq and his brother in a widely viewed YouTube interview. During the exchange, he questioned the economics of Paradox Coin, its game mechanics, and influencer-led promotion. Tariq rejected accusations that he was running a get-rich-quick scheme and defended the project’s structure.

Meanwhile, social media content associated with Alluvi highlights a flashy lifestyle. Footage shows a distinctive bright-green Lamborghini Huracán Spyder, while local residents told reporters that luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, were frequently parked outside the Northampton unit that was later raided. That said, ownership of the vehicles has not been independently verified.

Tariq previously ran a company called Onyx, which specialised in high-end car rental and chauffeur services. His personal driving record includes a 2018 case in which he was fined £1,185 and banned from driving for 12 months after failing to identify a BMW driver who overtook a Ferrari travelling at over 135mph. He had only just regained his licence days earlier, following convictions for drink-driving and driving while disqualified.

Inside the Alluvi weight-loss drug risks

Experts say the Alluvi operation highlights serious dangers in the shadow market for injectable weight-loss products. Medical specialists warn that retatrutide has not completed clinical trials, and its safety profile outside controlled settings is not fully understood. Moreover, unregulated injectable drugs can be contaminated, incorrectly dosed, or improperly sterilised.

Potential consequences, doctors note, include severe infections, pancreatitis, and dangerous blood-sugar fluctuations. Despite these risks, the Alluvi website remains online, claiming products are unavailable only because of “huge demand” during the Christmas period. Its Telegram channel continues to attract thousands of members who appear to place daily orders.

Local rumours suggest production has shifted to a new site following the Northampton raid. However, the MHRA has reiterated that no arrests have yet been made and continues to refuse further comment on Tariq, stressing that its inquiries remain live and that premature disclosures could compromise enforcement.

Crypto crime networks under mounting global pressure

The Alluvi case is emerging as one part of a wider pattern where criminal groups exploit digital assets and online infrastructure. One source with inside knowledge of the illegal weight-loss drug trade described those behind Alluvi as “nasty” operators who “made noise from day one.” That assessment echoes growing concern among regulators about aggressive, high-profile fraudsters using crypto rails.

In November, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office arrested two men linked to the $28 million collapse of Basis Markets, a hedge fund-style trading platform that vanished in 2022 after allegedly diverting client funds into founders’ wallets. The case underscored how sophisticated operators can pivot between traditional financial structures and on-chain activity.

Enforcement pressure is not limited to investment schemes. Three UK men were handed a combined 27 years in prison for running a dark web drug operation that relied on cryptocurrency for payments. Similarly, in November, South Australia Police filed 800 charges and made 55 arrests linked to a crypto-enabled criminal ring, seizing $37.9 million after working closely with the FBI.

Regulatory gaps and slow complaint-led oversight

Academic experts argue that current regulatory models are struggling to keep pace with the speed and scale of crypto-linked misconduct. Dr Piotr Ozieranski told The Guardian that complaint-led oversight moves too slowly to deter determined offenders. “At present, it often feels that the worst that can happen is a slap on the wrist,” he said in a stark assessment.

Ozieranski warned that, in the meantime, the public remains exposed to serious harm from both financial and health-related scams. Moreover, the blending of online marketing, anonymous payments, and cross-border logistics allows bad actors to rapidly restart operations even after raids or platform bans, as the Alluvi example appears to suggest.

That said, regulators insist they are ramping up resources and international coordination. They argue that new tools for tracing on-chain flows, plus stronger partnerships with major issuers and exchanges, are beginning to produce more frequent and higher-impact enforcement actions across 2024.

Industry and law enforcement push back

To combat the rise of crypto money-laundering driven by scams, drug trafficking, and human exploitation, Tether, issuer of the stablecoin USDT, has partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The initiative aims to strengthen cybersecurity practices and improve the tracking of illicit digital asset flows. However, the effectiveness of such collaborations will depend on how quickly intelligence can be translated into concrete cases.

Recent enforcement actions underline that authorities are widening their focus beyond token issuers and exchanges. In the United States, federal prosecutors charged a Chicago crypto ATM founder with a money-laundering conspiracy that allegedly moved $10 million through kiosks. Around the same time, the Treasury sanctioned 19 entities over crypto scams that U.S. officials say defrauded Americans of $10 billion in 2024 alone.

Against this backdrop, projects like Paradox Coin and associated ventures face heightened scrutiny from both investigators and the public. While Tariq continues to deny wrongdoing in his crypto activities, the convergence of metaverse marketing, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, and aggressive online promotion is likely to remain a focus for regulators well beyond 2024.

In summary, the Northampton Alluvi case and Tariq’s overlapping crypto ventures illustrate how digital assets, online platforms, and high-risk medical products can intersect, reinforcing global calls for tougher oversight and faster cross-border enforcement.