The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized counterfeit malaria medicines worth over N1.2 billion in Lagos.
According to the agency, officers raided a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area where 277 cartons of unregistered Malamal Forte were discovered. The consignment, imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China, had been disguised as spare parts in shipping containers.
NAFDAC disclosed that the fake drugs were concealed in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg. The products have since been confiscated, and investigations are ongoing.
In a separate alert, the agency warned the public about counterfeit Aflotin 20/120 tablets, an antimalarial manufactured by Ajanta Pharma Limited of Mumbai, India. The fake version was flagged after discrepancies were found in its packaging and artwork compared to the authentic product.
NAFDAC confirmed that the falsified tablets do not conform to approved packaging or overprinting and should not be used. Genuine Aflotin 20/120 contains Artemether 20mg and Lumefantrine 120mg, used for treating uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, condemned the smuggling of unregistered medicines, stressing the agency’s determination to rid Nigeria of harmful products. She said the agency enjoys full backing of the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health in its enforcement efforts.
Recent operations highlight the scale of the problem. In March, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit and banned drugs worth N100 billion seized from Lagos’ Idumota drug market. The action followed a three-week drive that sealed 3,000 shops and evacuated 27 trucks of fake products.
Similarly, last month, the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit Zone A handed over expired drugs valued at N3.77 billion to NAFDAC. Customs said the handover was in line with a memorandum of understanding to prevent dangerous pharmaceuticals from reaching consumers.
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