NAFDAC raids Lagos markets over fake liquor

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has raided shops in the popular Oke-Arin Market, Balogun and Suru Alaba, Apapa all in Lagos State where fake liquor were allegedly being bottled and registered brands counterfeited.
The agency carried out the raid recently following a tip-off about some wine and spirits distributors, who operate local production sites where the adulteration was done.

Apart from fake liquor, counterfeited packaging materials such as empty bottles, funnels, filtering clothes, corks of registered brands among others, were discovered in the raid which involved NAFDAC Enforcement officers and journalists who monitored the exercise.

A shop at No. 12, Issa Williams, Balogun market with the business name, Ken-Zubby Emporium Ltd, belonging to one Kennedy Maduewesi, was among those sealed as large quantities of the fake liquor and counterfeited packaging materials were discovered there.
A sales representative at the shop who identified himself as Christopher declined comments on the use of the fake packaging products.

“I am not the owner of the shop, I am only working here as a sales representative, when the owner comes you ask him what they use them for. I met everything here when I came to this shop. They have been here for a very long time,” Christopher said.

The agency also sealed a Fan Milk outfit at Alaba Suru, along Apapa road, where some of their products did not have expected labeling information such as: date markings, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates.

Commenting on the raid, Assistant Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Lagos, Mr. Uche Chidi Uzoma, said that the operation was actually informed by a kind of international operation that is going on in different parts of the world.

Uzoma said that the raid was part of a global exercise occurring simultaneously in all nations of the world called Operation Olson VI.

He said the operation was jointly conducted by Europol, Interpol and other law enforcement agencies including the Customs, Police, and the Military and was aimed at dislodging criminal networks of foods and drinks products counterfeiters.

“It is aimed at dislodging organized criminal network of counterfeiters, those that are into food and drinks products,” Uzoma said.

On the fake products discovered by the team at Oke-Arin Market, he said: “We have confirmed that some of the things discovered at Oke-Arin Market belong to one Ken-Zubby Emporium Ltd.