The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has smashed a criminal ring inside Mile Three Ultra Modern Market that specializes in illicit production of different brands of fake alcoholic beverages.
The drinks which were been produced in five lock up shops on the first floor of the market were done in crude and very unhygienic manner. Gallons of liquid substances suspected to be ethanol and colourants were found all over the stores.
The ethanol were being mixed with colourants and used to fill used bottles of different brands of fast selling foreign and locally made alcoholic beverages such as Chelsea dry gin, Lords dry gin, Seaman’s aromatic schnapps, Gordon’s dry gin, Elliot, Royal Challenge, Royal Circle, McDowell’s, Squadron dark rum, 501, Jonnie Walker, Grand Master’s, Three Barrels, Red Label, Black Label, Hennessy etc and sold to unsuspecting members of the public.
NAFDAC coordinator in Rivers state, Mrs. Mercy Ndukwe said that “the clandestine activities of the counterfeiters were discovered after a tip-off from a good Nigerian and when NAFDAC got to the market the stores were under lock and keys but were later forced open.”
“The stores where these illicit alcoholic drinks were been produced are located in a very filthy and unhygienic environment in an isolated end of the market,” Ndukwe stated.
She however, said that NAFDAC could not apprehend the syndicate behind the criminal act as they failed to show up while the leadership of the market claimed to be unaware of their activities adding that investigations are still ongoing with the leadership of the market to track down the fakers.
The chairman of Mile 3 market association Elder Nwachukwu Okanu condemned the surreptitious manner the counterfeiters invaded the market with their criminal activities and pledged their corporation with NAFDAC in weeding out bad eggs in their midst calling on would be counterfeiters to embrace lawful means of livelihood as the market authority will not protect any person involved in illegality.
The five stores were evacuated and hundreds of empty bottles of alcoholic drinks, labels, corks, packaging materials/cartons, more than fifty bottles of finished Chelsea dry gin and few other finished products were taken to NAFDAC office at Federal Secretariat, Port Harcourt.
Other items evacuated to NAFDAC office include: 15 gallons; with some containing liquid substances suspected to be ethanol, 10 empty drums, plastic basins, pallets, colourants, glues, a set of generator etc.
The Mile Three market has been on the spotlight for the production of illicit alcoholic beverages but previous raids by NAFDAC had only succeeded in mopping up fake alcoholic drinks been sold in shops and sanctioning their owners until this recent eye opening discovery.
