NAFDAC bursts fake alcoholic producing centre in Port Harcourt, arrests 52-yr-old ‘mastermind

Those who produce fake alcoholic drinks and beverages in Aba, Abia State, are said to have opened a centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Sources said they trained some persons in the business who opened a branch in the Mile 3 zone of Diobu, Port Harcourt.

It was gathered that Aba thus supplies most of the materials while the alleged fakers would procure the rest in Port Harcourt. The result is that they produce all kinds of foreign and local alcoholic drinks and print the labels and cork the bottles.

It was gathered that the operators procure old bottles of the drinks from scavengers, wash them, and them refill them up with their own products brewed from ethanol and other chemicals. Drink is ready.

Now, it was gathered that officials of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) got wind of the illicit operations and began to monitor them.

Now, NAFDAC launched an operation and arrested a 52-year-old man, named as Anthony Chidi, who is alleged to specialise in producing fake alcoholic beverages inside Mile 3 Market, Diobu, Port Harcourt.

A statement by Cyril Monye of the Public Relations Unit for the south-south said Chidi was caught inside a dirty shop washing used bottles of various brands of alcoholic beverages which he allegedly used in producing the unwholesome drinks and selling to unsuspecting members of the public.

Items found in the shop, according to Monye, include dirty empty bottles of different brands of local and foreign alcoholic beverages, gallons/jars of ethanol, washed empty bottles, corks, packaging materials, various brands of already packaged drinks, funnel fitted with filter, and other things.

Read also: NAFDAC seeks death penalty for drug peddlers 

NAFDAC quoted Chidi to have said he started the illicit business about one year ago, having relocated from Aba where he mastered the trade, adding that he also got the labels and packaging materials from Aba while he bought the used bottles within Port Harcourt.

NAFDAC said the shop was eventually evacuated and everything inside was moved to NAFDAC office while the suspect would be handed over to NAFDAC’s Enforcement and Investigation Directorate for further investigation and prosecution.

Chukwuma Oligbu, the Director South-South Zone, stated that hard times await those still involved in the illicit production of NAFDAC regulated products, warning that those still involved in adulterating registered products should give up the illegal practice or be ready to go to jail.

NAFDAC has in recent times launched crackdowns in Aba, Lagos, and Onitsha with huge hauls of seizures. The invasions have also been trailed by outcries and accusations against NAFDAC and the security agencies.