Segun Atanda/
The Lagos State Police Command has dismantled a suspected fake drug syndicate involved in the repackaging and interstate trafficking of adulterated pharmaceutical products, arresting two suspects and recovering hundreds of cartons of suspected counterfeit medicines destined for distribution across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, disclosed the breakthrough during a press briefing on Monday in Lagos, describing the operation as a major success in the Command’s sustained campaign against organised crime.
According to the police chief, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on credible intelligence, arrested one Eze Okwudilichukwu, 52, and Chukwudi Mba, 42, at a warehouse located at 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were allegedly repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution.
CP Fatai said the suspects subsequently led investigators to another warehouse, where detectives, armed with a duly executed search warrant, recovered a truck loaded with suspected adulterated drugs bearing registration number KFR 241 XA (Katsina), alongside several other exhibits.
Items recovered during the operation include about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole, six bags containing unpackaged suspected counterfeit Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton and other pharmaceutical products, about 10 cartons of suspected adulterated Ampiclox, Viagra and other medicines, as well as more than 300 empty printed packs and cartons allegedly used for repackaging the fake drugs.
Preliminary investigations, the Commissioner revealed, indicate that the syndicate has been operating for more than two years, repackaging and distributing suspected counterfeit medicines to various parts of Nigeria.
He added that investigators also uncovered evidence suggesting that significant quantities of the products were being transported to Lomé, Togo, pointing to what he described as a transnational distribution network.
The police further believe the suspected adulterated drugs are being manufactured somewhere within Lagos State, although the production facility has yet to be identified.
“Our detectives have intensified efforts to locate and dismantle the factory, arrest all those connected with the operation and ensure they face the full weight of the law,” the Commissioner said.
CP Fatai also disclosed that since the suspects were arrested, some individuals had allegedly made desperate attempts to compromise the investigation by offering inducements to officers handling the case in exchange for the release of the suspects and the recovered exhibits.
He commended the officers for rejecting the alleged offers, stressing that the Lagos State Police Command remains committed to professionalism, integrity and the rule of law.
“No amount of pressure or inducement will derail the course of justice,” he declared.
In view of the specialised nature of the case, the Commissioner formally handed over the suspects, recovered exhibits and investigation case file to the Lagos Director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Martins Iluyomade, for further investigation and regulatory action.
He said the transfer underscores the Command’s commitment to ensuring that everyone connected with the illicit operation is prosecuted through the appropriate legal and regulatory channels.
CP Fatai praised the VCRU operatives for their professionalism, diligence and intelligence-led operation, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that could help security agencies uncover counterfeit drug operations and other criminal activities.
He noted that public cooperation remains vital in safeguarding lives and protecting communities from the dangers posed by fake and adulterated medicines.
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