 Brigade and the presidential task force against economic sabotage and oil vandalism has uncovered a syndicate involved in producing and selling counterfeit alcoholic drinks in Onitsha.){kind=link}
A joint operation by the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade and the presidential task force against economic sabotage and oil vandalism has uncovered a syndicate involved in producing and selling counterfeit alcoholic drinks in Onitsha.
Addressing journalists in Onitsha on Friday, Celestine Anere, the managing director of OCHA Brigade, revealed that seven suspects had been arrested during the operation.
Acting on credible intelligence, enforcement officers raided a factory, where they discovered 2,000 cartons of fake wines. The factory, known as Aliban, located on Onowu Street, off the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, was being used to produce, package, and distribute counterfeit alcoholic drinks and wines to local markets.
Anere explained that several stores and warehouses in the area had been converted into makeshift factories, where the production of fake alcoholic beverages was taking place.
“During the raid, we seized over 2,000 cartons of wines and other already packaged drinks. We also confiscated hazardous equipment, including a mixing tank, an improvised filter, and various packaging materials. Bags of empty bottles were also recovered,” Anere said. He confirmed that the seven suspects arrested would face prosecution, while the factory owner remains at large.
Anere urged Nigerians to exercise caution when purchasing alcoholic beverages, advising them to carefully inspect the products to avoid consuming counterfeits.
Collins Enebeli, the state coordinator of the presidential task force against economic sabotage and oil vandalism, also addressed the press, highlighting Anambra State as a major hub for counterfeit product manufacturing. He emphasized that the task force would continue its efforts to eliminate economic sabotage across the country.
One of the arrested suspects claimed to be just a worker in the factory, unaware of the legality of the operation. “We plead for mercy. I don’t know if the factory is certified or not. We just come here to work, and our boss supplies over 1,000 cartons of wines and other drinks to markets every day,” she said.