An illicit alcoholic beverage plant in the FCT’s Lugbe axis was busted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, or NAFDAC.
During the operation, the agency found outdated salt with changed expiration dates and confiscated alcoholic beverages that had been tampered with.
During the enforcement exercise, NAFDAC also stepped up its efforts to stop the sale of counterfeit goods, rebranded items, and subpar products.
Mr. Shaba Mohammed, the agency’s Federal Task Force’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, said reporters that the FCT’s Lugbe neighborhood has developed into a center for the production and distribution of inferior alcoholic beverages.
Mohammed observed that counterfeit labels of well-known alcoholic brands are now carried by replica brands in the region.
“The team discovered locations where fake alcohol was being repackaged in old bottles with phony labels and manipulated expiration dates,” he said.
The counterfeit goods were produced in a residential apartment using phony packaging materials, frequently over the course of several weekends, and this is one of several recent operations in the FCT.
“The facility has been sealed by NAFDAC, and those in charge have been called in for additional investigation.
“We will eliminate the fake goods from the manufacturing location, and our Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate will comb the marketplace to remove any leftover merchandise,” he said.
Speaking as well, Mr. Tamanuwa Andrew, the Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement for NAFDAC in Kaduna, confirmed similar results in the communities of Wuse Market and Mararaba, which are adjacent to Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory.
Noting a rise in unregistered pharmaceuticals and herbal medicines, he said NAFDAC will step up its monitoring to safeguard the public’s health.
“Further investigation will determine penalties for those involved in producing counterfeit goods,” he said.
