The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday said it has uncovered a factory where assorted fake wine and fruit juice were produced at Aboru area of Oke-Odo, Lagos State.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Edgal Imohimi, told newsmen when he visited the factory that the 48-year-old owner of the factory has been arrested.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, who was on the CP’s entourage, observed that various assorted wines, fruit juices and empty bottles were recovered from the uncompleted one-storey building, which doubles as factory and owner’s residence.
NAN recalls that three persons were arrested on December 13 at Ikotun area of the state for operating fake drugs factory, while many of the fake drugs and chemical materials were recovered.
Imohimi said apart from wine products, several chemicals and reagent used for the manufacturing of the products were also recovered by the police.
He said samples of products recovered from the factory would be sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for laboratory analysis.
He said the house had been sealed until after investigation was concluded.
He said: “This matter is an interesting case because it has to do with the health of Lagosians.
“Based on intelligence information that some fake assorted wine, gin are being brewed in an uncompleted building.
“On December 13, 2018, at about 2pm, the command received credible information that there exists a fake wine/brewery in an uncompleted one-storey building at Aboru area of Oke Odo, Lagos, where assorted wine and alcoholic beverages were being produced.
“Based on the information, I directed the Area Commander, Area P, Alagbado, to mobilise to the scene, search and seal off the factory.
“When the team arrived the scene, they executed a search warrant which enabled them to search and recover the following items: 4,000 bottles of already produced, packed and labeled adulterated wine of different brands, 10,000 empty bottles, drums of different sizes and various chemicals and reagents used as raw materials and other tools used in the production of fake wine/fruit drink.”
Imohimi said further investigation revealed that the said suspect, a secondary school dropout, had neither the requisite qualification nor licence to embark on such type of business.
He said incidentally, the factory served as both production base and residence for the suspect, his wife and four children.
The suspect, in his defence, said he was still awaiting approval from NAFDAC to commence commercial production of the drinks.
He also denied that the drinks were fake, insisting that he produced them basically with local fruits.
“I am a creative minded person and all l do here is the production of fruit based drinks. I have not started selling because I am yet to get approval from NAFDAC,” he said.
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