Lagos police burst fake drinks factory, arrest two suspects

• The suspects, identified as Imo Lawrence (35 years old) and Magnus Nwonka (42 years old), were apprehended by officers from the Ojo Division of the command on Wednesday

In Lagos, southwest Nigeria, the police apprehended two individuals found in possession of counterfeit drinks.

While specific details of the arrest are yet to be fully disclosed, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Command’s spokesperson, revealed the arrest via his social media platform.

The suspects, identified as Imo Lawrence (35 years old) and Magnus Nwonka (42 years old), were apprehended by officers from the Ojo Division of the command on Wednesday.

The police spokesperson said in the course of the investigation, the suspects led detectives to their “inconspicuous, multi-room ‘factory’, adding that “investigation is ongoing.”

WithinNigeria reported on Monday, December 18, that no fewer than 240 shops on Cemetery Road Market, Aba in Abia State have been shut down over fake and counterfeit drugs by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

The drugs and other products confiscated were worth more than N700 million, according to the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye.

Adeyeye said the raid was carried out within the first two weeks of December 2023 and that many such raids had been going on in the country.

She decried the increase in the number of counterfeiters in the country. She charged citizens to be more careful of what they buy and consume as most of these counterfeit products, including beverages and consumables, had adverse and long-term health implications for those who consume them.

“We have carried out raids in different parts of the country, and we have seized goods worth millions of Naira. The latest raid is the one that happened at Cemetery Road Market in Aba.

“NAFDAC intercepted counterfeiters engaged in the production of a variety of beverages. They include alcoholic and non-alcoholics wines, as well as consumables.

“This was achieved due to several weeks of intelligence gathering. And we were able to carry out a sting operation and burst the criminal activities in the market that had been going on for a long time. They were now like a cartel.

“Some of the activities of the nefarious counterfeiters included the production of all kinds of wines from a wide variety of brands.They range from Schnapps, Dry Gin, Hennessy, Four Cousins, Chelsea to London Dry Gin and Gordons.

“They also counterfeited non-alcoholic beverages like Eva wine and Coca-Cola products, among others.

“The criminals re-validated expired products. And all of these operations were carried out in a less-than-conducive environment with water that was not pure.

“During the raid, about 240 shops were closed down, and 1,500 cartons of the counterfeited products were destroyed.

“Three hundred cartons were seized, and 10 persons were arrested at the scene of the crime and will be charged to court. The goods destroyed and seized from this illegal operation were valued at about N700 million,” she said.