The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has discovered more than 100 sacks of empty alcoholic beverage bottles at a residential property in Lagos, raising suspicions that the containers were being stockpiled for the production of counterfeit drinks.
The bottles were recovered from a building at 322B Meiran Road, Agbado Oke-Odo, during an enforcement operation carried out by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate.
The agency subsequently destroyed the recovered containers to prevent them from being reused to package and distribute fake alcoholic beverages.
An Assistant Director in the directorate, Kunle Ojo, disclosed the development in a video released by NAFDAC on Friday, explaining that the operation followed intelligence reports about activities at the property.
According to Ojo, the building was located in an isolated residential neighbourhood where large quantities of materials, including empty alcoholic beverage bottles covered with tarpaulins, had been stored.
He said the containers came in different sizes, with some bearing labels associated with brands such as Action Bitter and Royal Circle Premium Whiskey.
NAFDAC suspects that the bottles were being collected for supply to individuals involved in the production of counterfeit alcoholic drinks.
Ojo explained that the practice typically involves gathering empty branded bottles and distributing them to counterfeiters, who may refill the containers with other substances and sell the products as genuine alcoholic beverages.
The discovery has renewed concerns about the risks associated with counterfeit alcohol, particularly when fake drinks are packaged in containers bearing the names and labels of recognised brands.
Such packaging can mislead consumers into believing they are purchasing authentic products, making it difficult to identify potentially dangerous imitations.
Also Read: Extremely disturbing – Rivers govt reacts as female students kick against virginity testing
NAFDAC condemned the suspected use of a residential property for the alleged activity, stressing that the operation was part of its broader efforts to protect public health and tackle the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products.
The agency also urged residents to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to the nearest NAFDAC office.
It maintained that information from members of the public could help enforcement officials identify and dismantle suspected counterfeiting networks before their products reach consumers.
