The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control has seized banned pharmaceutical products worth millions of naira in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, during a raid.
The agency also burst factories manufacturing fake alcoholic beverages in Enugu and Imo states during the month.
NAFDAC’s director, South-East zone, Martins Iluyomade, told journalists in Awka on Wednesday that drugs intercepted in Onitsha included 892 bottles of codeine syrup, 26 packs of Rohypnol tablets (Flunitrazepam) and 16 packs of Swings tablets (Flunitrazepam).
Others were six rolls of Teka Tramadol capsules 100mg, 10 packs of Super Terpentol tablets 200mg and eight packs of Osaka Tramadol capsules 100mg.
Mr Iluyomade commended Louis Mmadubuatta, coordinator of NAFDAC in Anambra State, for a successful operation, saying that the drugs posed grave public health danger.
He said the drugs were dangerous psychoactive substances, especially rohypnol, which, he said, was largely used by kidnappers, rapists, cultists and ritualists on their victims.
“These are controlled drugs that should not be found on the open market or in the hands of individuals,” he said.
Mr Iluyomade said other breakthroughs made included the discovery of a factory under the name Best Ijaw at Ibagwa Aka, in the Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, which specialised in the production of an unapproved dry gin.
He said the factory had eight PVC containers filled with substances suspected to be ethanol and drums of substances equally suspected to be ethanol.
“The so-called factory is in an uncompleted building used for rearing all manners of domestic animals and is unkempt. Workers at the factory fill small branded plastic bottles with substances suspected to be ethanol from these drums and they distribute them to the innocent public for consumption,” he said.
The NAFDAC zonal director said another operation was carried out in Ezinihitte, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, where a factory counterfeited some popular wine and spirit brands.
He said some of the faked beverages intercepted were Campari, St. Remy, Big Ben Gin, Lord’s Gin, Eagles Gin, Seaman’s Schnapps, McDowell’s, 8PM Whisky, 8Hours, Action Bitter, One Man Squad, Hennessy, 501 Whisky, Royal Spark, Don Oscar’s Quevedo Red Wine, and Chelsea Dry Gin.
He said the couple who operated the factory had been arrested and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
“A huge number of all the drinks were seized. Bottles, corks, labels, substances yet to be identified until after a proper test, as well as other equipment used for the production of fake drinks, were also seized.
“The operation was made possible by the collaboration between NAFDAC and the Directorate of State Services,” he said.
Mr Iluyomade said the operations were a continuation of the agency’s mission to ensure that consumers of food and drink in the South-East were protected from harmful products.
He advised the general public to be patient and painstakingly look out for the seal of quality on beverages whatever they wished to buy.
According to him, NAFDAC remained committed to ensuring that the level of counterfeit products in markets and homes was drastically reduced for the safety of all consumers of these products.
(NAN)