NAFDAC smashes forgery gang

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has smashed a gang which specialises in forging import documents.
NAFDAC’s Head of Investigation and Enforcement, Kingsley Ejiofor, told reporters in Lagos yesterday that the agency received complaints from three countries about impersonation and scam by some Nigerians.
The gang, he said, posed as NAFDAC officials to process NAFDAC registration documents for intending importers of regulated products.
The complaints were from the High Commission of Nigeria in New Delhi, India reported on behalf of a company called Bharti Phosphates; Dr Yaser Dezhkam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dr Haps Company, a German firm and manufacturer of pet food supplement and one Akem from Tunisia who wanted to confirm whether he should pay money to a company in Nigeria called Samjoe Ventures for the registration and shipment of 5,000 metric tonnes of calcium carbonate.
According to him, the cases were investigated and it was discovered that they were hatched and executed by the same syndicate.
“This professional criminal group is an international gang headed by Mr Eze Okoronkwo who is resident in Aba, Abia State. The other Nigerian collaborators are Ndukwe Darlington Ukonu, Nwabugo Okoro, Ohanaokwu Chinonye and one Mr Smart who resides in India. Their Indian collaborators are Miss Kokula Hongva, Hoi Ching Suamtak, Tongso M. Anal and Aneng Mate. The other countries whose nationals allegedly collaborated and acted as brokers to the syndicate are the Philippines, Tunisia, El-Salvador, United States, Canada, Mauritania, Denmark, Mexico, Greece, Switzerland, Indonesia and the Republic of South Korea,” he said.
Ejiofor said the syndicate collected $13,640 from its victims and was about to collect another $57,720 before the bubble bust.
The syndicate, he said, went about sourcing for brokers with dollar or euro account, promising that the broker will be entitled to between 30 and 40 percent of the venture’s proceeds.
“They contact the companies thereafter through known websites i.e. company or group websites e.g European Union-Distributors website. The victim is then gradually fleeced while being presented with fake documents”, he said.
According to him, some of the fake NAFDAC documents produced by this syndicate include certificates of registration, some bearing the forged signature of the acting Director-General; notification of products approval (NAFDAC document is ‘notification of product registration); some documents with fake documents with fake NAFDAC letter-head purportedly issued by the agency but which are actually non-existent, for NAFDAC does not issue any of such documents; Confirmation of file number for immediate issuance of NAFDAC certificates and Demand Proforma Invoice.
He said: “Other documents purported to have emanated from other government agencies and private firms include Certificate of incorporation from the Corporate Affairs Commission, tax payment receipt (with payment in US dollars), from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, payment receipt (with payment in US dollars) from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Letter from the FCT High Court titled ‘Statutory affidavit of support for our NAFDAC registration’, Power of attorney, payment verification form from non-existence Barclays Bank Plc, Lagos and Form M.”
The suspects, he said, would be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).