Crypto Scammer Caught Up In Record-breaking Drug Seizure

Fasial Tariq, co-founder of Paradox Metaverse dubbed a “Ponzi” by crypto investigator Coffeezilla, has been linked to what UK authorities call the world’s largest seizure of illegal weight-loss drugs.

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 seized drugs reached £250,000 ($335,000). Paradox Metaverse, founded by brothers Amio Talio and Fasial Tariq.

They also secured a livestream with IShowSpeed, a streamer with over 43 million followers, before Coffeezilla exposed the project as a scam.

An investigation by UK newspaper the Guardian traced connections between the raided facility and Tariq’s crypto ventures.

Company records tie Tariq to raided facility

The Guardian discovered Tariq served as company director of Wholesale Supplements Limited, the firm registered to the raided industrial unit.

Investigators found customer orders for weight loss jabs were processed through Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv, which shared an address with another firm listing Tariq’s name: Vantage Commercials Group Limited.

A link at the bottom of Ecommerce Nutri Collectiv’s website redirected visitors to Paradox Labs, a site previously archived 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 multiple high-end vehicles would frequently park outside the industrial unit. The Guardian noted this may link to Onyx, the Northampton luxury car rental company that Tariq and his brother operated.

One source claiming inside knowledge of the weight loss drug trade told investigators the products are manufactured cheaply with minimal safeguarding for cleanliness and dose measurements. The illegal operation remains active on Telegram despite last year’s seizure.

Paradox Metaverse called “Ponzi” by investigators

Coffeezilla interviewed the Paradox Metaverse orchestrators and concluded the project operated as a Ponzi scheme. The crypto investigator labeled the brothers “scammers” after examining the project’s structure and promises.

Paradox Metaverse marketed itself as a crypto-based game but faced accusations of making unsustainable yield promises to investors. The project leveraged IShowSpeed’s massive following to gain credibility before crypto investigators exposed the operation.

No offenses 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 medications sold without proper licensing or medical oversight.