Society

Douala: Customs seizes huge consignment of contraband medicines.

by Morine Tanyi
11 Jan 2026 12:23
864 views

Consignment of goods sized

Officers of the customs department in Douala are reported to have seized a huge consignment of illicit pharmaceuticals. The illicit medicines are said to have been seized during an overnight operation carried out on Monday, January 5, by officers of Zone I of Operation HALCOMI III.

The intercepted pharmaceuticals, according to customs officials, are of different varieties estimated at over one million. It was seized in the Akwa neighbourhood.

The operation is said to have unfolded near a creek along the banks of River Wouri. The suspected traffickers were said to be in the process of loading the illegal goods onto a truck when Customs operatives swoop on them.

The intervention is said to have led to the seizure of 31 packages containing a mix of tablets, capsules, and injectable medicines.

The medications are said to have been brought into the country without authorisation from competent offices.

During the operation, customs officers are said to have seized some 946,960 tablets, 145,400 capsules, and 28,000 injections.

None of the products, we gathered, had received approval from competent health services. The lack of such approval, authorities, said, raised serious concerns about their origin, quality, and intended destination.

Customs officials are reported to have confirmed that the seized stock will be withdrawn permanently from circulation.

Customs authorities saluted the team that carried out the seizure for saving the population from potential harm.

The seizure, they added, equally demonstrated the heightened vigilance of customs surveillance both at border points and within the national territory.

In the meantime, authorities have encouraged the population to remain vigilant and double check all medications and other products bought to avoid falling prey to such illicit products.

Contraband medicines it should be said, are widely recognized as a potential danger to public health and the economy.

The World Health Organization, WHO, has on several occasion warned that such products can cause serious side effects, treatment failure, or even death.

Beyond direct harm, the global organisation has repeatedly said, substandard and falsified medicines also undermine health systems and fuel antimicrobial resistance, particularly when antibiotics are involved.

Some smuggled medicines, medics say, weaken patients over time, worsen existing conditions, or increase vulnerability to other illnesses.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3667 of Thursday January 08, 2026