On Friday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it arrested a syndicate specialising in importing banned Crusader Soaps containing mercury into the country.

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, who disclosed this to journalists in Lagos, said the syndicate used forged customs documents to import the product into the country.

According to Ms Adeyeye, the agency banned the importation of the soap into the country years ago because it contains mercury.

“Each consignment is not less than three containers with 4,500 cartons of the soap.

“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, totalling 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,” Ms Adeyeye said.

She explained that the successful busting of the warehouse came after three failed attempts, as the cartel used their informants continuously to relocate the consignment of soaps to different locations in Lagos to prevent the discovery.

The NAFDAC boss said Peter Obih, the prime suspect, during interrogation, claimed to have bought the franchise of the product from a company and presented an expired NAFDAC certificate issued for local manufacture of the product after the ban in Nigeria.

“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 labelled made in England to deceive Nigerians while the actual source is India,” she stated.

Ms Adeyeye said mercury in cosmetics was of global concern because of the established and documented health hazards it poses to human health and the environment.

She said the arrested suspects would be charged to court while a manhunt is being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of this syndicate.

(NAN)