Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted a syndicate of counterfeiters producing a wide array of adulterated beverages including soft drinks, wines and other consumables in Eziukwu, popularly known as Cemetery Market in Aba, Abia State.
The agency, in a statement signed by its Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday, said it acted on intelligence and data gathered over several weeks in collaboration with other security agencies and was able to clamp down on the criminal ‘cartel-like’ activities in the market.
The perpetrators were found to be involved in the production of a wide range of adulterated products, imitating popular brands such as Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins, Chelsea London Dry Gin, as well as Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, and many others.
Their activities also extended to date revalidation for expired products, including Peak milk, Powdered milk, Ketchup, Yoghurt, Coca-Cola products, along with the packaging of fake and substandard items sold to unsuspecting consumers.
During the operation, NAFDAC said it raided more than 240 shops that had been transformed into makeshift factories for the production and marketing of harmful products. These facilities were found to be using unhygienic water sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring agents, dirty recycled bottles, and cloned packaging materials from reputable brands.
The agency reported that over 1500 cartons of the fake and substandard products, with an estimated street value exceeding seven hundred and fifty million naira (N750,000,000) were destroyed. An additional 300 cartons were evacuated to the NAFDAC warehouse while ten individuals were apprehended at the scene.
Given the large scale of ‘production’ in the market, NAFDAC reportedly shut down the entire market for comprehensive regulatory activities with reopening contingent on an agreement with all stakeholders in the market, in addition to signed undertakings ensuring that the market would no longer be used for criminal activities.
Warning on the health hazards of consuming adulterated drinks, NAFDAC noted that such drinks could cause nausea, abdominal pain, and could also lead to kidney and liver damage or death.
Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), It added that 4.7 percent of cancer cases in Nigeria in 2019 was due to the consumption of adulterated alcohol.
Adeyeye, while reiterating the agency’s commitment to eradicating counterfeit products from Nigerian markert, urged Nigerians to be wary of drinks they buying during the festive season.
