Nigeria Customs Area I Command Port Harcourt Hands Over Intercepted Fake Pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC

The Nigeria Customs Service, Area 1 Command, Port Harcourt, Rivers State says it has intercepted and handed over on Tuesday a large consignment of intercepted fake pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). 

This was contained in a press release made available to our Correspondent by the Command's Public Relations officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs II Barilule Jane Aanee.

According to the statement,the event was held at the Command's Training Room, and presided over by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller YM Hashim, and attended by officials from NDLEA, DSS, Immigration, Quarantine Service, and major freight forwarding associations.

The statement stated that Comptroller Hashim has disclosed that the seizure was made during a routine inspection of a 1x40FT container falsely declared as carrying motorcycle spare parts from China. 

However, upon examination, the container was found to contain 2,455 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products branded as Gebedol, each with 10 packs of 6 sachets, concealed among 23 cartons of motorcycle spare parts and 12 bags with the total duty paid value (DPV) of N3,293,726.

On the danger of the drugs,the Area 1 Customs boss emphasized that no monetary value could measure the potential harm of those fake drugs,noting that “Fake drugs kill,”

Continuing,he reiterated that “They destroy families, weaken our healthcare system, and pose a serious threat to national security." 

He added that "those involved in such acts are no different from terrorists.” 

Comptroller Hashim therefore, praised the professionalism of Customs officers and acknowledged the vital intelligence support from other agencies even as he also highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC as a key framework in intercepting counterfeit products at Nigeria’s borders.

More so, he called for stronger collaboration among regulatory and security agencies to move from reactive seizures to proactive intelligence led prevention.

Responding , the Deputy Director of NAFDAC Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for their vigilance and quick action in intercepting such unwholesome drugs,stressing that the seized products, if allowed into circulation, could have caused immense harm to the society.

He however,assured stakeholders that NAFDAC would commence immediate investigation, oversee the destruction of the consignment, and track the perpetrators behind the importation.

Pharm. Raufu furthermore reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health and deepening collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other enforcement bodies, describing the interception as a model example of how inter-agency cooperation can protect lives and maintain regulatory integrity.

The high point of the event was the official hand-over of the seized drugs to NAFDAC as Comptroller Hashim assured the public that the Area 1 Command remains fully committed to vigilance and the protection of lives, reiterating that "the safety of Nigerians will never be compromised "

Sent-in by Bon Peters, from Port-Harcourt in Rivers State

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