The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has uncovered a residential building in Lagos being used as a warehouse for empty bottles of assorted alcoholic drinks suspected to be for counterfeiting popular brands.

The agency said its Investigation & Enforcement Directorate discovered the facility at No. 322B Meiran Road, Agbado Oke-Odo, Lagos, following credible intelligence about suspicious activities at the location.

Speaking in a video released by the agency on Friday, an Assistant Director in the Directorate, Mr. Kunle Ojo, said the building was located in a secluded residential area where different kinds of materials were being stored.

“On arriving, we saw different kinds of bottles stacked in this place. These are bottles covered with tarpaulins,” Ojo said.

He said officials found over 100 sacks containing empty bottles of different sizes — 70cl, 750cl and others — bearing labels of popular alcoholic brands including Action Bitter, Royal Circle Premium Whiskey, Smirnoff, Hennessy and Alomo Bitters.

According to him, the bottles were allegedly stockpiled to be supplied to different suspected counterfeiters for reuse in producing and packaging fake alcoholic drinks.

“What these people are planning to do, or what they do here, is to supply the bottles to different suspected counterfeiters to be used for another production,” Ojo said.

He condemned the use of a residential building for such activity, saying it is not acceptable and the agency is committed to safeguarding public health.

“This is a residential area, and this is not acceptable to government. We are here to safeguard the health of the nation,” he added.

NAFDAC said all the bottles have been destroyed to prevent their reuse for counterfeit drinks. The agency also urged residents to report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods to the nearest NAFDAC office.

This comes less than a week after the agency busted another suspected fake drinks factory at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos where two suspects were arrested for relabeling empty bottles of expensive wines and refilling them with adulterated drinks

CREDIT: NAFDAC Nigeria | Punch | The Telegraph Nigeria | TVC News | Galaxy TV.