Police Arrest Two Over Suspected Counterfeit Drugs, Hand Case To NAFDAC

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two suspects for allegedly trafficking adulterated and counterfeit pharmaceutical products and handed them over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and prosecution.

The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following an intelligence-led operation at a warehouse on Otto Causeway in Lagos, where they were allegedly repackaging suspected counterfeit medicines for distribution across Nigeria and other West African countries.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects had been involved in the illicit trade for about two years.

“The suspects were arrested at their warehouse where they were found repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to different parts of Nigeria,” Tijani said.

He said the suspects later led detectives to a second warehouse, where officers recovered a truck loaded with suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products alongside other exhibits.

Items recovered included about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole, six bags containing unpackaged suspected counterfeit Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton and other drugs, 10 cartons of suspected adulterated pharmaceuticals, and more than 300 empty printed packs and cartons allegedly used for repackaging the products.

Commending the VCRU operatives, the police commissioner described the operation as a product of professionalism, diligence and intelligence-led policing.

The suspects, recovered exhibits and case file were subsequently handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation and prosecution.

Receiving the suspects, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said the agency would ensure that everyone involved in the alleged crime is brought to justice.

“We will ensure the prosecution of all those involved in this criminal enterprise,” Iluyomade said.

The police allegations have not yet been tested in court.