By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a suspected counterfeit alcoholic drinks production facility at No. 25 Omenazu Street, Aba, Abia State.
The Agency said the operation was based on credible intelligence, and officials discovered the facility operating in unhygienic conditions.
According to NAFDAC, the suspected operator fled upon the team’s arrival, abandoning a vehicle in which counterfeit packaging materials bearing the names of Sir Edwards Scotch Whisky and Scottish Hills Whisky, empty bottles and a drum containing approximately 200 litres of liquid were found.
Inside the facility, officials found counterfeit packaging materials, bottle caps, sealing machines, empty bottles, cartons, tanks containing various liquid concoctions, and dirty sieves reportedly used in the production process.
Plastic buckets and 200-litre drums containing ethanol and tree bark immersed in ethanol were also discovered, raising serious concerns about the safety and quality of the products being produced.
NAFDAC said the estimated value of the equipment, materials, and facility components is over N500 million.
The agency urged members of the public to provide credible information on suspected illegal manufacturing activities.
