South West: Customs seizes large stock of contraband medicines in Ekok.

According to information made public by the customs, officers of the Ekok Mobile Customs Brigade intercepted a carton of undeclared and unlicensed medicines concealed in the boot of a passenger vehicle travelling from Nigeria and bound for Bamenda in the North-West Region.

The vehicle was stopped during routine surveillance, and the carton was confiscated after checks confirmed that the contents lacked the required regulatory authorisations. Customs officials reported that the seizure is part of ongoing efforts to curb illicit pharmaceutical trafficking at border points and within the national territory.

The latest operation follows a similar incident on November 22, when customs officers at the Ekok checkpoint seized 48 cartons containing 960,000 Dexacure tablets. According to information published by Customs on Facebook, that haul was intercepted after intelligence led the Mobile Customs Brigade to a passenger vehicle hiding the undeclared stock among luggage. 

A formal report signed on site confirmed an importation without declaration or authorisation of prohibited products, in violation of articles 55, 469, 472 and 473 of the CEMAC Customs Code. Customs findings indicated that the shipment originated from Nigeria and was destined for Bafoussam.

The Ministry of Public Health has reported growing pressure on counterfeit pharmaceutical networks nationwide. Official data show that 369.8 million FCFA-worth of fake medicines were confiscated in the first half of 2025. 

Under the health system transformation agenda, total counterfeit drug seizures have reached 8.69 billion FCFA since 2020, with market surveillance preventing multiple falsified medicines from entering distribution channels. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3650 of Tuesday December 09, 2025