…destroys fake products worth N450m

By Chioma Obinna & Emmanuel Elebeke

The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administrations and Control (NAFDAC) weekend said the move by the agency to embrace modern anti-counterfeiting technology has paid off as it has resulted to the prosecution and sentencing to death in China, six Chinese nationals involved in the manufacture of fake drugs exported to the country.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii who spoke through the Deputy Director Enforcement, Mr. Garba Macdonald at its destruction site in Shagamu, Ogun State where fake products valued at N450 million were destroyed, boosted that although the act of counterfeiting in the country is fast becoming more sophisticated with modern technology, NAFDAC had risen to occasion by embracing modern anti-counterfeiting technology to enable the agency beat the counterfeiters in their own game.

Orhii explained further that with the newly acquired technology, the agency has also made large seizure of smuggled containers of fake and substandard cosmetics and food products, through various land borders and a reduction of the influx of fake regulated products into the country.

“To make work easier for the staff and track the criminals faster, we have acquired and deployed Truscan technology, a hand-held device at borders and within the country and also launched the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS), which uses text messaging technology in putting the power of detecting counterfeits on the hands of the public and also the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for verification of regulated products and documents”.

The RFID system, according to him, has the potential to allow NAFDAC staff trace the movements of regulated products from production to the consumer, and also prevent the forgery of sensitive documents, all to prevent the importation and movement of the regulated products into and within the country.

He further disclosed that NAFDAC had equally commenced prompt and fast registration of products as part of efforts to check influx of fake products in the country.

“We have also commenced the prosecution of a large number of offenders.”

Speaking on the N450 million counterfeit and fake products destroyed, he explained that the products were seized from importers, manufacturers and distributors by various NAFDAC establishments in the Southern region, as well as expired and damaged products, voluntarily handed over to NAFDAC by compliant companies.

He said NAFDAC has been relentless in her fight against what he called unrepentant peddlers of fake drugs and merchants of death, adding that the efforts of the agency so far have continued to pay off through various arrests and seizures it made so far.

Orhii stated that these were made possible through the continued embrace and continued strengthening of international collaborations with countries and international organizations in their fight against these dangerous products.