The issue became a major controversy in June 2009 when Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it had seized a large consignment of spurious anti-malaria drugs worth US$210,000 (Euros 146,333). The drugs came from China and were distributed in Nigeria tagged “Made in India”.

The Chinese government apologised to Nigeria and promised a thorough investigation and punishment of those involved. But Chinese officials insisted India should share responsibility, as some Indians have also been found exporting fake drugs to Nigeria.

Officials of the Indian Commerce Ministry said they had received complaints about Chinese firms offloading counterfeit drugs as Indian products in South Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast and other African countries.

Media reports quoted Mr Paul Orhii, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, describing the action as a case of “tremendous progress” in the campaign against fake and counterfeit drugs.

“Those people in China are facing the death penalty. The India parliament also passed a law for manufacturing of counterfeit drugs. It will be difficult for Nigerian drug traffickers to go to India. In China, it is even worst the counterfeiter will be facing the death penalty”, he was quoted as saying at a conference in his country.

Between 2001 and 2007, the Nigerian government banned about 30 Indian and Chinese pharmaceutical companies for exporting fake drugs. But sections of the Indian industry claimed they have suffered loss of reputation because of malpractices of Chinese exporters using the “Made in India” label to cover up their misdeeds.

The death sentence is likely to be carried out. The Chinese government, in an early effort to reform its drug industry reputation, executed Zheng Xiaoyu, the Head of its drug regulatory agency, in 2007 for taking bribes to approve substandard drugs.

References:

George Miller. Death for Chinese drug fakers. FiercePharma Manufacturing. 2009 December 14.

Saibal Dasgupta. Death for 6 Chinese traders faking ‘Made in India’ tags. The Times of India. 2009 December 10.