Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) have intercepted a truckload of suspected counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products worth billions of naira in the Otto, Ijora area of Lagos, arrested two suspects and handed over the consignment to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the VCRU headquarters in Ijora Olopa, describing the operation as one of the command’s most significant breakthroughs in recent weeks.

He said the operation, which followed credible intelligence, prevented the dangerous products from entering circulation and potentially endangering millions of lives.
According to the police commissioner, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspected fake medicines were being transported to northern Nigeria, with part of the consignment also believed to be destined for neighbouring countries.

“We believe this is one of our major achievements in the last one week. If these drugs had found their way into circulation, they would have endangered the lives of countless Nigerians,” Fatai said.

He noted that while the arrested suspects admitted transporting the products, they had yet to disclose those behind the illegal operation, adding that efforts were ongoing to dismantle the criminal network responsible.
Warning manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit medicines, the CP stressed that the police would continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to combat the illicit trade.

Recognising that the offence falls within NAFDAC’s statutory mandate, the police formally handed over the suspects and the seized truckload of suspected fake drugs to the agency for further investigation and prosecution.

Receiving the exhibits, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, praised the Lagos Police Command for its professionalism and resilience.

He described the seizure as a major demonstration of effective inter-agency collaboration, noting that officers resisted possible inducements to compromise the operation.

“This volume of interception takes determination. There would have been temptations, inducements and intimidation, but the officers stood their ground. That is commendable and shows that inter-agency collaboration is working,” he said.

After inspecting the seized products, Iluyomade described the haul as “intimidating,” alleging that many of the medicines appeared to contain little or no active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Displaying a pack of suspected counterfeit Buscopan tablets, he explained that previous laboratory analyses of similar products revealed that many contained little more than powder, leaving patients without effective treatment.

“These are the real silent killers. This is even worse than terrorism because fake medicines can kill millions quietly, and victims even pay their own money to buy them,” he warned.

He added that counterfeit medicines contribute significantly to treatment failures, avoidable deaths and the growing burden of preventable diseases across Nigeria.

Iluyomade also recalled that NAFDAC’s Federal Task Force removed more than 140 truckloads of counterfeit medicines from markets in Onitsha and Aba during a nationwide enforcement operation last year, lamenting that criminal syndicates continue to flood the country with fake pharmaceutical products despite repeated crackdowns.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious medicines to authorities, stressing that eliminating counterfeit drugs requires sustained collaboration between law enforcement agencies, regulators and the public.
Police said investigations are continuing to identify the financiers and members of the wider distribution network behind the intercepted consignment.