Customs intercepts three containers of fake drugs, 11 vehicles, others

Joy Anyim

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday disclosed that the Zone through its various anti-smuggling activities have intercepted a 40ft and two 20ft containers carrying medicaments suspected to be fake and falsely declared by the importer.

According to the Controller of the Zone, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, the products identified as Lemdafil, Acipep and Ciprofloxacin were said to have been imported from India and did not have an appropriate import documents and certification.

While handing over the seized containers to the officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Ikeja Lagos for further investigations, Uba lamented the rate at which some callous importer liter the country with medical products that are fake and harmful to the health of citizens.

He warned that the Zone will do everything within its power to ensure that such importers do to find the landscape favourable for such unscrupulous act.

Speaking on the other seizures by the Zone, the Comptroller revealed that 11 used vehicles, 4,227 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 249 bales of used clothing, 980 cartons of foreign poultry products, 907 used tyres, 268 pairs of used shoes were all seized.

Also,two containers carrying made in Nigeria cables but imported from china, 7×20ft container carrying wood, 1×20ft container carrying wet blue leather, 84 parcels of Indian hemp amongst others were intercepted by the Zone between August 29 – October 3, 2017.

Highlighting how the bags of rice were intercepted, Uba said, “After intensifying our operational modalities to meet up with the current smuggling tactics, based on information gathered, we trailed and evacuated 3000 bags of smuggled rice from 10 houses along waterside in Ere Village of Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

“Each of the houses had exit doors for their nefarious activities. As we were evacuating the rice from one house to the other, the villagers were also busy packing the rice to the bush through other exit.

” this is to tell you the extent some people take risk while indulging in smuggling. They see smuggling as a way of life and an inherited business.”

The Comptroller also revealed that due to the tough nature of the operation, the customs had to go with some army personnel from the 9th Brigade in Ikeja for the operation.

The total Duty Paid Value of the intercepted items was also put at N356, 205,050.78 only.

On his path, the Assistant Director of Investigations and Enforcement , Pharmacist Declan Ugwu who received the seizure on behalf NAFDAC appreciated the effort of the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said, ” They have joined hands with NAFDAC as partners in safe guarding the nations. One of this drug known as Lemdafil is used for erectal dysfunctioning and often time you find out that even those people that are healthy abuse the drug and it portends a very great danger for our country. What this fakers do is that they go to very fast lines knowing that the level of promiscuity is high so people can easily buy this drug.

“Whoever is faking this is sure of selling it. Products as this are not meant to be packaged the way this seized ones are. The law of NAFDAC does not allow pictorials on a drug that will be used strictly as prescription.

“This product did not go through any independent analyst from the country it is coming from set us by us . it also did not go through the port inspection directorate for stamping. The implication of this fake drugs is that people will be sent to their early grave.

“If the drug had passed through NAFDAC it wouldn’t be like this. We will investigate this product and we will look inward to find out if the drug followed due process. We need sister agencies such as SON, NDLEA, Customs and others to help in actualizing our mandate.”

The seized cables were also handed over to the Standard Organisation of Nigeria while the Indian hemp were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigations.

Comptroller Uba also revealed that the Zone have 12 trials at the Supreme Court , Court of Appeal and Federal High Court respectively. While three are criminal cases, nine are civil cases and one has been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

He also reiterated that the Zone will not relent in ensuring that smuggling activities are completely dealt with.