Source: newsthemegh.com
Unregistered herbal and conventional medicinal products worth GH700,000 have been seized by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Kumasi.
The Authority seized illegal medications, including body enhancement goods, during a market monitoring operation in the Ashanti Region.
The goods were seized from a single retail location at the Alabar Market, a place known for being a hub for the distribution of illegal drugs and unwholesome herbal products.
Numerous aphrodisiacs, unlicensed herbal remedies, conventional painkillers, and cosmetics were among the items.
Some of the seized goods had engravings in mysterious languages, while others were blatantly American-made.
John Laryea Oddai Tettey, the Food and Drugs Authority’s regional director for Ashanti, said the products were a combination of local and foreign foods.
“The FDA will never approve these items. Unknown is how these items enter our market. However, we want to guarantee that when these smugglers manage to get through entrance points, we will always catch them when they appear on the market, he said.
The FDA states that the seized goods would be burned up and destroyed.
The Authority has been alarmed by the ongoing influx of illegal pharmaceuticals onto the market.
The Authority claims, however, that it is mapping the entire area to track down offenders and prosecute them.
“We do a lot of scouting and surveillance and we are mapping the entire region so that wherever we have these products sold, we will move to those areas and get rid of them. But we have some spots that perpetually display these products and we are starting with them and we will get to them. Those in these illegal trades must rethink their activities because we are coming after them,” he said.
The sale of these unhealthy goods is a rising trend on social media.
The FDA is working with the proper parties to stop the promotion and sale of such unhealthy products online.
The public is advised by John Laryea Tettey not to buy unregistered products.
“Visit the hospital and get the prescription. We are not supposed to buy medicines like we buy toffees. Get to a licensed chemical shop or pharmacy to have your prescribed medication. Communication Directorate of the authority is collaborating with the relevant agencies to ensure that the appropriate thing is done to rid these marketers,” he said.
Three people who were detained for similar offenses have already been charged.