Aba Cemetery Market, largest cartel manufacturing fake wines, other beverages, shut down—NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control says it has, for the second time, shut down Aba, Cemetery Market in Abia for the sale of fake bottles of wines and beverages. The shutdown was announced in a statement on Tuesday. NAFDAC director-general Mojisola Adeyeye said the market was regarded as the most dreaded and hitherto safe haven for the largest cartel ring for the manufacture of fake wines and beverages in Africa. She said NAFDAC’s decisive move aimed to curb the circulation of fake and substandard bottles of wine and beverages in Nigeria. The NAFDAC boss said the operation was carried out in conjunction with the military, State Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force. According to Ms Adeyeye, some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included manufacturing all kinds of adulterated products, especially bottles of wine of different brands.
The NAFDAC boss listed some wines as Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, and Black labels. Others are Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel and others. Ms Adeyeye said during the extensive operation, NAFDAC raided over 240 shops-cum-factories where harmful products were produced and marketed. “The shops turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles and cloned packaging materials of other brands. The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing cheaper sources of sugar and starch, besides grapes or fruit, and other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.
“Over 1,500 cartons of the fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation. The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products in 2023 is estimated at over N750,000,000. The estimated value of products mopped up during the December 15, 2024, operation is N5 billion,” said the NAFDAC chief. The agency’s statement revealed that the products being “revalidated and mopped up” included carbonated drinks such as Fanta, Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Lacasera, Sprite, Hollandia Yoghurt, Super Commando Energy Drink, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta. Others were Peak sachet milk, Cowbell sachet milk, Peak Chocolate Drink, Miksi sachet milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink and Ovaltine. The NAFDAC boss said before the evacuation of these products, they were being produced in the Aba market and neatly packaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers. Ms Adeyeye hailed Governor Alex Otti for supporting ‘Operation Clean UP Aba’ launched by NAFDAC. She said the mayor of Aba South, the interim management committee of the market, and other stakeholders cooperated with NAFDAC on the project, which has led to the discovery of another three major warehouses. Ms Adeyeye also mentioned that the warehouses stockpiled expired HOLLANDIA YOGHURT. (NAN)