The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, announced that the agency has intercepted counterfeiters involved in the production of various fake beverages, including wines and soft drinks, in the Eziukwu market in Aba, Abia state.
The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products is estimated to be over N750,000,000.
Adeyeye, speaking at a virtual media parley in Abuja on Monday, revealed that the operation was conducted in collaboration with other security agencies following an intelligence tip-off.
The counterfeiters were engaged in manufacturing adulterated products, such as different kinds of wine with fake labels from well-known brands like Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice, Eva non-alcoholic drink, Evra non-alcoholic drink, Cartel, and others.
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The illegal activities also involved date revalidation for expired products like peak milk, powdered milk, ketchup, yogurt, Coca-Cola products, and the packaging of fake and substandard products.
NAFDAC raided over 240 shops that had been turned into makeshift factories, where harmful products were being produced and marketed.
The conditions of these makeshift factories were described as very filthy, using water from unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, coloring, dirty recycled bottles, and cloned packaging materials of other brands.
During the operation, over 1,500 cartons of fake and substandard products were destroyed, and 300 cartons were evacuated to the NAFDAC warehouse.
Ten people were arrested on the scene and will face charges after a thorough investigation. Adeyeye emphasized the dangers of consuming adulterated alcohol, warning that it can lead to various health issues, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness, and even death.
She highlighted the potential risks of methanol, a substance used in fake vodka, which may cause permanent blindness.
NAFDAC temporarily shut down the entire market for regulatory activities until an agreement was reached with stakeholders to prevent such illegal activities in the future.
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