The Area 1 Customs Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), PortHarcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, 30th July, 2025, handed over a large consignment of intercepted fake pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The event, which took place at the Command’s Training Room, was presided over by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller YM Hashim, and attended by officials from NDLEA, DSS, Immigration, Quarantine Service, and major freight forwarding associations.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Hashim disclosed that the seizure was made during a routine inspection of a 1x40FT container falsely declared as carrying motorcycle spare parts from China, and upon examination, the container was found to contain 2,455 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products branded as Gebedol, each with 10 packs of 6 sachets, concealed among 23 cartons of motorcycle spare parts and 12 bags with a total duty paid value worth ₦3,293,726. 
The Area Comptroller emphasized that no monetary value could measure the potential harm of these fake drugs, pointing out that “Fake drugs kill.”
According to him: “They destroy families, weaken our healthcare system, and pose a serious threat to national security. Those involved in such acts are no different from terrorists.” Comptr. Hashim stated.
Comptroller Hashim further lauded the professionalism of Customs officers and acknowledged the vital intelligence support from other agencies.
He in the meantime, highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC as a key framework in intercepting counterfeit products at Nigeria’s borders and called for stronger collaboration among regulatory and security agencies to move from reactive seizures to proactive intelligence led prevention.
In his response, the Deputy Director of NAFDAC Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for their vigilance and quick action.
He stressed that the seized products, if allowed into circulation, could have caused immense harm, while assuring stakeholders that NAFDAC would commence immediate investigation, oversee the destruction of the consignment, and track the perpetrators behind the importation.
Pharm. Raufu reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health and deepening collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other enforcement bodies.
He described the interception as a model example of how inter-agency cooperation can protect lives and maintain regulatory integrity.
The event came to a close with the official handing over of the seized drugs to NAFDAC, as Comptroller Hashim assured the public that the Area 1 Command remains fully committed to vigilance and the protection of lives, reiterating that the safety of Nigerians will never be compromised.
Also speaking, Comr. Ngozi Uzohuo, the Zonal National Vice President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Eastern Zone, lauded Comptr. YM Hashim, officers and men of Area 1 Customs Command, as well as NAFDAC, for their effective collaboration against the importation of illicit drugs in the country.
Comr. Ngozi Uzohuo
He also pledged the continued support of NAGAFF to the activities of Nigeria Customs Service, particularly at the Eastern Zone.
