NCS seizes N1.8b expired pharmaceuticals at Apapa port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 12 40-ft containers of expired and controlled pharmaceutical products without National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration numbers at Apapa port.

The items are worth N1.8 billion. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, who unveiled the seizures to journalists yesterday in Apapa command, said the containers were filled with expired drugs, some of which were smuggled into the country without adherence to regulatory standards, such as obtaining a NAFDAC number.

Among the contraband were tramadol, codeine, and a variety of other pharmaceutical products, many of which had been falsely declared to evade duty payments.

In a breakdown of the confiscated items, the Comptroller-General disclosed that one 40-foot container with box number SEGU4339917 declared to hold basic health supplements, was found to contain a range of expired medications from June 2024.

They include valsartan tablets, prednisone tablets, losartan potassium tablets, aspirin low-dose pain reliever tablets, magnesium oxide tablets, vitamin D supplements, and an oral rehydration solution mix that expired in July 2024.

The container also includes diclofenac sodium topical gel, which expires in November 2024; Unimmap multiple micronutrient supplements, which expire in December 2025; and other regulated medical items.

In addition, several containers were found to hold concealed cartons of tramadol and codeine, often disguised among expired pharmaceutical products. They include four 20-ft containers with numbers DFSU 1362498, CAIU 2167874, PCIU 1934537 and CAIU 2167874, loaded with cartons of expired Extra analgesic, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory tablets, Zokomol, Diclofenac and other pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC registration number.

Another three 40-ft containers, with numbers SEGU 6326800, DFSU 7320205, and TCKU 6880985, concealed expired Diacare antidiarrheal, Really Extra pain reliever, cartons of brushes, and cartons of expired pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC registration number.

The NCS also seized two 40-ft containers, CAUU 5699055 and SUAN 8691124, containing 27,540 pieces of machetes, raising further concerns about the potential impact on national security.

The customs boss said these importations violate Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023. Adeniyi emphasised the NCS’s commitment to safeguarding Nigerians’ health and security by enforcing stringent measures to detect and intercept illegal imports.

He also reiterated the NCS’s unwavering commitment to facilitating legitimate trade while ensuring that all cargo passing through Nigeria’s ports is thoroughly scrutinised using non-intrusive (scanning) measures and physical examinations where necessary to prevent the importation of harmful goods.

The Comptroller-General commended the Apapa Port Command, led by Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, for its diligence in anti-smuggling operations, especially as the command handles the highest volume of trade for the NCS and collects the highest revenue.