Port Harcourt: Area 1 Customs Command Hands Over Seized Fake Pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC
The Area 1 Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has transferred a substantial shipment of seized counterfeit pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The ceremony, held in the Command’s Training Room, was led by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller YM Hashim, and attended by representatives from NDLEA, DSS, Immigration, Quarantine Service, and key freight forwarding associations.
During the event, Comptroller Hashim revealed that the seizure occurred during a routine inspection of a 1x40FT container falsely declared as carrying motorcycle spare parts from China. Upon inspection, the container was found to contain 2,455 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products branded as Gebedol, each carton containing 10 packs of 6 sachets, hidden among 23 cartons of motorcycle spare parts and 12 bags. The total duty-paid value of the goods was ₦3,293,726.
The Area Comptroller stressed that the damage caused by these counterfeit drugs cannot be quantified in monetary terms, warning that “Fake drugs kill.” He explained, “They ruin families, undermine our healthcare system, and represent a significant threat to national security. Those engaged in such activities are akin to terrorists,” said Comptroller Hashim.
He also praised the professionalism of the Customs officers and recognized the crucial intelligence assistance provided by other agencies.
Meanwhile, he underscored the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC as a crucial framework for intercepting counterfeit goods at Nigeria’s borders. He also urged for enhanced cooperation among regulatory and security agencies to shift from reactive seizures to proactive, intelligence-driven prevention.
In response, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, Deputy Director of NAFDAC’s Port Inspection Directorate, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for their alertness and prompt response.
He stressed that the seized products, if allowed into circulation, could have caused immense harm, while assuring stakeholders that NAFDAC would commence immediate investigation, oversee the destruction of the consignment, and track the perpetrators behind the importation.
Pharm. Raufu reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health and deepening collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other enforcement bodies.
He described the interception as a model example of how inter-agency cooperation can protect lives and maintain regulatory integrity.
The event came to a close with the official handing 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.
Also speaking, Comr. Ngozi Uzohuo, the Zonal National Vice President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Eastern Zone, lauded Comptr. YM Hashim, officers and men of Area 1 Customs Command, as well as NAFDAC, for their effective collaboration against the importation of illicit drugs in the country. He also pledged the continued support of NAGAFF to the activities of Nigeria Customs Service, particularly at the Eastern Zone.
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