The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced on Friday that it had caught a gang that specialized in bringing into the nation illegal crusader soaps containing mercury.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, told reporters in Lagos that the syndicate utilized falsified customs paperwork to get the product into the country.
According to Adeyeye, NAFDAC banned the entry of the soap into the country years ago because it contained mercury.
She said: “In the course of its regulatory activities, the investigation and enforcement (I&E) Directorate of NAFDAC has discovered a syndicate that specializes in importing banned crusader soaps containing mercury.
“The syndicate used forged customs documents to import the product into the country and further investigation through the ports shows that the banned crusader soap was imported seven times in 2021 alone.
“Each consignment is not less than three containers with 4,500 cartons of the soap.
“These products have found their way into various supermarkets and cosmetic shops with unsuspecting members of the public patronizing them.
“Acting on intelligence, our investigation and enforcement team in August 2023 busted a warehouse in Trade Fair Market, which was filled with the banned imported soaps.
”Three trailer-loads of imported crusader medicated soap and mekako soap totaling 4,000 cartons by 12 packs by 12 tablet soap were evacuated from the warehouse, while some suspects were arrested in connection with the case.
“The street value of the evacuated products is approximately one billion Naira.”
She explained that the successful raid came after three failed attempts, during which the cartel utilized spies to constantly shift the consignment of soaps to different places in Lagos in order to avoid discovery.
According to her, during interrogation, the leading suspect, Chief Peter Obih, claimed to have purchased a franchise for the product from a firm and produced an expired NAFDAC license issued for local manufacture of the product following the ban in Nigeria.
Adeyeye stated that not a single bar of the soap has been manufactured in Nigeria since its alleged registration in 2013.
“The suspect claims to have just secured a contract manufacturing agreement with a local manufacturer but they are yet to commence production.
”The sample of the product was taken to our laboratory for analysis and was found to contain heavy metals identified as mercury.
“The crusader soap is falsely labeled made in England to deceive Nigerians while the actual source is India.
“This is an outright violation of the NAFDAC Acts and a contravention of the agency’s regulations, including the cosmetic products (prohibition of bleaching agents) regulations 2019.”
According to Adeyeye, the presence of mercury in cosmetics is a global concern due to the proven and confirmed health risks it causes to human health and the environment.
She stated that the apprehended suspects would be charged in court and that a manhunt is presently underway to apprehend additional fugitive members of this organization.
However, the director-general warned Nigerians not to use imported soaps and detergents, including those containing mercury, and to report any violations to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Comments