Between September 2022 and March 2023, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, impounded expired medicines worth about N1.422 billion in the South West area.
Furthermore, the FOU stated that in March 2023, it apprehended illicit shipment worth N694.5 million. According to the report, the products were allegedly smuggled into the country from the Benin Republic by criminal groups.
Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, the Acting Controller in Charge of FOU Zone A, told reporters in Lagos that the pharmaceuticals were allegedly trafficked into the country from India.
Ejibunu stated that if the Unit had not changed its strategy to restrict any income leakages, all of the medications that expired in November 2021 would have found their way into the open market.
“The drugs are expired, illegal, and did not meet statutory import requirements.”
“Drugs intercepted at various times and locations are being constructively warehoused in 39 x 140 ft and 2 x 20 ft containers.” They were turned over to the National Agency for Food, Drug, and Control (NAFDAC) for probable destruction, and the seizures have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,422,000,000),” he added.
According to Ejibunu, the unit also seized 6,228 bags of foreign parboiled rice, which equates to 11 trailer loads, 35,325 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), and 279 cartons of foreign chicken.
“Among the seizures are 105 parcels (50kg) of cannabis sativa, 2 x 40 ft containers said to contain 883 bales of used clothes, and eight units of foreign used (Tokunbo) vehicles,” he stated.
Speaking at the official handover, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigations and Operations, Mr. Francis Ononiwu, described the grab as a large seizure that would normally have made its way into the market.
He stated that NAFDAC would conduct additional investigations to determine who was responsible for the illegal importation of expired medications.
“In the past, we have intercepted some of these drugs.” We shall conduct a thorough examination to determine whether the importers are already on our watch list or whether they are new.
“As you can see, the drugs are set to expire in November 2021.” “Those behind the illegal import would have changed the date on the packets if officials from the Nigeria Customs Service had not impounded the drugs,” he continued.
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