Trendy teen fashion app Depop is being used to sell illegal tanning injections and supplements

Illegal substances, drug paraphernalia and shady secondhand supplements are all being sold on Depop, an investigation has revealed.   

MailOnline found dangerous tanning injections, needles, used ‘fertility pills’ and bongs being openly advertised on the marketplace used by children as young as 13.

It follows an investigation last week by tech magazine WIRED which found  more than 200 supplements with dubious health claims listed on Depop.

The site, which takes a 10 per cent cut from all transactions, has been made popular among teenagers by Love Island stars who use it to flog their old clothes.

One seller, based in Glasgow, used the site to advertise £20 vials of the illicit tanning drug melanotan, with the option to purchase needles and wipes for an extra £5.

The advert, which did not feature any actual photos of the drug, also included nasal sprays, which deliver the drug through the nose.  

A more brazen seller in South Shields used a real image of a crystalised version of the drug, adding: ‘Can sell with sterile water to mix… for injections.’

While Depop is best known for buying and selling clothes, it is becoming home to a growing unregulated market of health products and supplements.

MailOnline found a pre-owned tub of fertility supplements being sold in London for the discounted price of £20. 

‘Expertly formulated to support preconception and preparation for pregnancy,’ the caption claims. ‘Has been used, used about three capsules,’ it adds.

Another user, based in Christchurch, quoted £15 for two jars of ‘Hunger Buster’ fat loss pills, one of which was opened and only had ‘around 20’ capsules left.

Drug paraphernalia such as bongs and pipes for smoking drugs and ‘coke spoons’ used to snort cocaine were also available on the app.

One seller, based in Glasgow, used the site to advertise £20 vials of melanotan, with the option to purchase needles and wipes for an extra £5

A pre-owned tub of fertility tablets being sold in London for the discounted price of £20. The London-based seller admits ‘about three capsules’ are missing

Another user, based in Christchurch, quoted £15 for two jars of ‘Hunger Buster’ fat loss pills, one of which was opened and only had ‘around 20’ capsules left

Under UK law it is illegal to ship or sell melanotan — but a legal loophole means customers are allowed to buy and own it.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has branded melanotan dangerous.

The watchdog said it has received reports of 74 separate side-effects, including  acne, stomach pains, eye disorders, sickness, and even heart problems.

While it is not immediately clear if some of the listings for fertility and diet supplements are illegal or dangerous, experts warn that unsealed products could be contaminated with other substances.

Nine in 10 users of the London-based Depop app are typically aged between 16 and 26, although anyone can open an account from the age of 13. 

On its website, Depop insists it prohibits the sale of drugs and drugs paraphernalia, but dealers can be found aggressively marketing their wares to children. 

MailOnline found one advert for the sale of a bong in the shape of the South Park cartoon character Kenny McCormick.

Depop, which claims to buy and sell ‘the most inspiring and unique things’, is less well known than its competitors, such as eBay.

But the firm set up in 2011 already has 30million registered users and it has seen a surge in popularity following the Covid pandemic.

Since early 2020, its user base more than doubled, according to data from Statista.

Drug paraphernalia such as bongs were also found for sale – including this one in the shape of South Park character Kenny

A pipe used to smoke cannabis has four likes 

This jewellry seller advertises a spoon-shaped keyring as a ‘rave essential’, listing it as a ‘ket’ [ketamine] and ‘coke spoon’

The app is credited with inspiring a generation of young entrepreneurs, while celebrities including Philip Schofield, Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding and Kate Moss’s model sister Lottie Moss have ‘shops’ on the app. 

As well as drugs and paraphernalia, the investigation by WIRED found at least 208 listings for supplements and nearly 100 protein products for sale in the UK.

More than a dozen of the adverts made unfounded or misleading health claims, it found. 

MailOnline has approached Depop for comment.

Anyone selling supplements online must register as a food business operator with their council because the products are legally treated as food in Britain.

But not a single seller identified by WIRED could be found on the Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) database of food businesses.

A London-based user was found to be selling skin lightening products which contain the unproven chemical antioxidant glutathione. 

They boasted that the product could ‘Prevent Dull Skin Problems Dark Spots, and Increase Skin Clarity’ without evidence.  

‘Extreme testosterone’ boosters marketed for male enhancement were also on sale with a discount from a highly rated seller, despite little to no evidence the supplements work. 

Another London-based seller listed vitamin B5 tablets, inaccurately claiming that they can ‘reduce acne’ with no proof.