The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control has arrested five persons for selling counterfeit cosmetics in Abuja worth N35m.
The arrest was made on Wednesday, at the Garki and Wuse axis, during enforcement by the agency to curb the proliferation of substandard goods.
Speaking with newsmen after the enforcement, NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement, Federal Taskforce, Mr Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, said the arrested persons would be investigated.
He reassured that the agency would work to ensure that fake cosmetics and other counterfeit products were completely wiped out of the country.
Godiya revealed that the agency had been investigating some of the counterfeit cosmetics following an intelligence report.
He also said some of the products were illegally imported into the country despite security at the border.
“NAFDAC is present in at all the ports of entry of the country, but with the nature of our borders, these smugglers will always find ways to beat the system put in place by the government.
“That is why if they escape from the port or borders, we go to the market and to all the places, gather intelligence reports, go after them and confiscate the product for possible prosecution,” Godiya added.
He said that the market value of the seized cosmetics is N35 million, adding that NAFDAC would continue to investigate the issue, to unravel the level of involvement of the suspects.
Godiya said that after the investigation, the agency would take its regulatory action, which probably may be the prosecution of the suspects.
(NAN)