Container load of fake drugs declared as brushes intercepted by police in Lagos

A syndicate that specialized in the importation of fake and banned drugs from Pakistan to Nigeria has been smashed by the police in Lagos.

Two suspects were also arrested in connection with the importation of the fake products said to have been cleared at the ports as scrubbing brushes.

Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Bala Elkana who confirmed the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the fake drugs, said: “we have written Customs and NAFDAC.

“We are working with them on this case. Updates will be given later, as the investigation is still ongoing.”

But, it was reliably gathered that Fake and contraband medicines, including antibiotics, cough syrup, abortion pills, among others, with most of them carrying the name of a popular pharmarceutical company were repoetedly found in the container.
Policemen attached to Area ‘B’ Command, Apapa were said to have seen some persons offloading goods from a container into a truck inside a plaza at Apapa and in the process demanded the bill of lading of the container with number SEGU 6326800 and Customs officers that ought to have escorted it to a bonded terminal. But the men at work could provide any.
In the process, the trucks with numbers plates KTU216XG and SNK700XV  were impounded based on the instruction of the Area Commander, ACP Olasoji Akinbayo.

It was later discovered that 997 cartons of CSD with codeine cough syrup with batch number CSDD-1903;  54 cartons of tramadol tablets; 58 cartons of 250mg ampiclox syrup with batch number YK2J; I5 cartons of 20g cicatrin (3895); two cartons of CAC1000 plus (TD7L) and a carton of 125mg of amoxil syrup (SM4X) were stashed in the trucks.

There were also 17 cartons of 10ml Zentel suspension (3M9T); nine cartons of 50ml Septran suspension with batch number 5M5W;  a carton of 156.25mg augmentin (SA38); one carton (less two bottle) of 250ml Vitaglobin Syrub Iron plus Vitamins (782); 16 cartons of 10ml Mb Chlor Chloramphenicol USP (181); 23 cartons of 50ml Maxolan Metoclopramide HCI Syrup (UB4N); three cartons of Efrose Gynaecosid (P05) with NAFDAC registration number  04-4162; a carton of Stepsiril Comfort Original as well as 333 cartons of scrubbing brushes.

It was reliably gathered that since the discovery fake drugs and subsequent arrest of the importer, Uchenna Oreator, and the clearing agent, Uche Nwankwo, several calls from high-ranking security and paramilitary personnel have been made to prevail on the Area Commander to release the suspects and goods.

During interrogation, Oreator admitted ownership of the recovered goods, adding that he bought them at cheaper rates from Pakistan.

He further revealed that he declared the goods as brushes.

According to him, “I got them cheaper than what the manufacturers in Nigeria are selling them. I am sorry. I know that what I did was bad. It was my first time doing it.”