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NAFDAC ARREST IMPORTERS, DISTRIBUTORS OF FAKE FOOD PRODUCTS

As part of its efforts to curb the menace of importation, sales and distribution of counterfeit/fake regulated products and ensuring that only wholesome, safe, quality and efficacious products are imported, manufactured, distributed, sold and used by the Nigerian populace, operatives of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have raided and arrested suspects in connection with various fraudulent activities

At a press briefing on Monday, the Acting Director General of the agency, Dr. Monica H. Eimunjeze  disclosed that one of the cases is where arrest was made is a warehouse containing Potassium Bromate Tablets and an unregistered imported Edc – 2000 Bread Improver.

“On 7th December, 2022, NAFDAC officers raided a warehouse in Apongbon area of Lagos Island in Lagos where they found one hundred and fifteen (115) cartons of Potassium bromate tablets. The tablets have a street value of twenty eight million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N28,750,000:00). Also found in the warehouse is counterfeit EDC Bread Improver, packed in sachets with a fake NAFDAC registration number 01-4242, worth three hundred thousand naira (N300,000:00)”, the NAFDAC acting DG said. 

She disclosed that one Rapoluchukwu Joseph was arrested as the importer during the operation.

She said “as you are aware, Potassium bromate is a banned flour improver globally as it is a known cancer causing agent. It can also cause kidney failure among other ailments. Potassium bromate popularly known as tablets in the black economy is always attractive to merchants of death who want to make outrageous profit at the expense of citizens’ well being. 

“This is because apart from improving the texture of a loaf, it also increases its volume and it is relatively cheap. For example, the seized tablets could be used with three hundred thousand (300,000) bags of 50kg flour to produce about thirty (30) million family-size loaves of bread. NAFDAC wishes to state that there are recommended healthy flour improvers approved by the Agency. Henceforth, any flour product containing potassium bromate will be confiscated and the producer will be made to face the wrath of the law”.

Another case cited by the NAFDAC DG is a counterfeit super delicieur cooking margarine with purported NAFDAC registration number a1-2508, 400 cartons x 60 sachets x 250g with a manufacturing date of 25/01/2022 and expiry date of 25/01/2024 with various batches numbers. She disclosed that the street value of the items is eight million N8,000,000:00

According the NAFDAC DG, the items were intercepted at federal government motor park new road, Sabon Gari Market, Kano on 09/09)2022.

She said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on the 9th of September, 2022, commenced an investigation which led its operatives to along span of operations at four (4) States of the Federation namely; Kano, Kaduna, Delta, Abia and Lagos States.

“After rigorous and painstaking efforts, the Agency’s operatives traced and arrested one Owerekwe Obinna Michael ‘male’ 46 years of 12 Boundry Street, Aba, Abia State as the importer of the counterfeit product. At the point of his arrest, the suspect upon sighting the operatives completely destroyed his mobile phone so that the evidence will not be traced to him. He also fought the operatives, but was instantly overpowered, arrested and taken to custody.

“He confirmed that he actually imported four hundred (400) cartons of the product with the above details from Dubai through groupage and cleared at Onne Port, Port Harcourt. He claimed that the shipment was delivered to him by a clearing Agent, whose name he did not yet disclosed. He also admitted distributing the product to Markets accross the country.

“Preliminary examination of the product showed that the actual manufacturer’ name was not written, but produced for a company in Indonesia. The public are enjoined to watch out for these injurious products anywhere in the country and report same or any suspected fake/counterfeit or unwholesome product to any nearest NAFDAC Office”.

Dr. Eimunjeze noted that investigations are on-going on the cases.

editor

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