The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has raided two warehouses in Lagos state, containing over N3 billion worth of fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods.
Speaking in Lagos, the director general of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said over 20 truckloads of the offensive products were evacuated from the two locations, while the importer is still at large.
She said: “The officers of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC and the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods raided two warehouses at the TradeFair Complex in Lagos, where multiple cartons of banned drugs were discovered and evacuated. Over 20 truckloads of the offensive products were evacuated from the two locations.
“The products were stored at temperatures above 40oc, which ordinarily would denature some of the active ingredients and the excipients.”
Mojisola stated that on November 10, the agency arraigned one Mr. Afemefuna Udensi of Phini Pharms Limited, Onitsha, at the Federal High Court, Lagos for importing fake Tramadol.
The defendant imported a fake version of the registered brand. Investigation also revealed that the fake drugs were imported from China.
The agency has also observed that some fake and counterfeit products are brought into the country through a system known as ‘Groupage’.
“This is a system where more than two persons load containers with different items from the country of origin.
“It is collectively cleared and distributed to the owners of the items. This system aids and abets counterfeiting.
“The agency has found that controlled, banned, and unregistered Regulated Products are usually concealed and brought into the country through this arrangement.
