By Desire Emmanuel
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday, April 22, said it uncovered and dismantled two illegal production outlets involved in the production of fake alcoholic drinks in Lagos State.
The agency said acting on credible intelligence, its enforcement operatives raided the facilities at Zamfara Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, and Lagos Island.
It added that the operatives recovered over 1,800 cartons of fake alcoholic drinks valued at approximately ₦350 million.
The agency stated that at the Trade Fair Complex, officers discovered makeshift production setups equipped with plastic mixing tanks, improvised filtration systems, empty branded bottles, corks and packaging materials used to produce and package fake alcoholic drinks.
A similar operation on Lagos Island led to the arrest of a suspect linked to the illegal production and distribution of counterfeit beverages through a retail outlet. All recovered items were seized and evacuated for further regulatory action.
“NAFDAC warns that the consumption of adulterated alcoholic beverages poses serious health risks, including poisoning, organ damage, and death,” it said in the statement on Wednesday.
Many residents of Lagos have expressed worries over proliferation of fake and unwholesome items, especially alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages while many outlets where they are produced are uncovered by NAFDAC and other enforcement agencies almost on a weekly basis.
