How we arrested drug counterfeiters on death mission to Lagos, Port Harcourt – Police
The Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Command, has said that it intercepted two counterfeiters driving a van laden with packs of expired drug ‘Feed Fine Cyproheptadin’.
Benjamin Hudeyin, who speaks for the command, said in his post on the social media that a patrol team from the Okokomaiko police division discovered the expired drugs at about 5:40pm 0n Sunday.
“Found in the bus were seventy cartons of Feed Fine Cyproheptadine Caplets 4g, all with expiry date of 2016,” he said.
He added that the drugs were destined for Alaba International Market, in Lagos, after which they would be taken to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“The two occupants of the vehicle, Augustine Egemoye ‘m’ aged 60 and Innocent Eremosele ‘m’ aged 35 confessed they were taking the expired drugs to somebody in Alaba who would change the expiry dates and thereafter proceed with the drugs to Port-harcourt to be sold.
“Suspects, drugs and the vehicle are currently in custody.
“Efforts are on to arrest the owner of the drugs, the individual altering expiry dates and other indicted persons,” he said.
TheCornet reports that the laxity in product monitoring by regulators have continued to expose consumers to hazards.
Muyiwa Ayojimi, a lawyer and consumer champion, told this medium that “Nigeria’s weak enforcement of the consumers protection laws and regulatory ineffectiveness are reasons counterfeiters are still in business.”
He added” We have been engaging regulators across sectors about the need to promote consumer safety and ethical practices.”
“We have also cried out to regulators especially the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control and its sister agency, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria to diligently carry out post-product checks across markets.
Ayojimi, who is the coordinator of the Center for Consumer Concern Initiative (CCCI), said that “if regulators are doing so, the activities of criminals infiltrating the market with fake products will reduce.
