March 6, 2018

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has seized empty sachets of regulated products and other fake consumables worth N12 million at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

The seized items, packed in 24 cartons and imported from China, were made over the first quarter of 2018 by officials of NAFDAC at the airport.

The seized items also included: empty packaging materials of peak full cream instant milk powder; unlabelled glucose test strips; labels of dove cream and empty contains for various cosmetic products.

During on-the-spot assessment of the seized items on Tuesday in Enugu, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, lauded the agency’s intelligence team and customs officials at the airport for their efforts and co-operation in making the seizure possible.

She said that if not for the eagle-eyed officials, the empty sachets would have entered into the markets to be used by callous Nigerian manufacturers in producing fake and adulterated regulated products.

Adeyeye said that this could be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

According to her, NAFDAC is ever determined always to ensure the protection of lives of all Nigerians.

She assured Nigerians that NAFDAC would not relent in its efforts to ensure that those involved in the production and sales of fake, expired and unwholesome regulated products face the wrath of the law.

Earlier, the Head, Ports Inspection Directorate of NAFDAC at the airport, Mr John Okwori, said his team would put in more efforts to track down importers of doubtful and fake regulated products.

Okwori, who is a deputy director in the agency, said that all fake consignments were intercepted at the passengers’ arrival section at the airport in the first quarter of the year.

“The Benchmate Par-bro 60 is suspected to contain potassium bromate and thus was sent to NAFDAC Agulu area laboratory for investigation and analysis.

“The importers of the consignments have refused to come forward to clear them till date, possibly for fear of arrest by NAFDAC.

“The empty transparent containers were possibly meant for counterfeiting of popular cosmetic creams within the county,’’ he said.