Officers of the Presidential Task Force Against Economic Sabotage and Oil Vandalism, in collaboration with the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra Brigade, have dismantled a counterfeit wine production facility in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The raid, which took place in the Nkpor area on Friday, resulted in the sealing off of a local manufacturing company that had been mass-producing fake versions of exotic wines and other beverages for distribution within the state and beyond.
Reports suggest that the illegal factory had been operating for several years, churning out large quantities of unapproved wines, which were distributed for public consumption.
During the operation, seven individuals were apprehended at the facility located on Onowu Street, off the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. Authorities confiscated various counterfeit products, including popular wine brands like Classic Heaven, Baron Devanis, Dutch Black, Triple MW, and Hennessy.
Speaking to journalists, Celestine Anere, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, said the raid was the result of credible intelligence received by enforcement officers.
“Several packing stores and rooms in the facility were found to be used for producing various alcoholic beverages and wines. The task force officers discovered that multiple warehouses in the area had been turned into makeshift factories where different brands of alcoholic drinks and wines were being produced, packaged, and distributed in the open market,” Anere explained.
He added that over 2,000 cartons of counterfeit wine and already packaged drinks were seized, alongside unhygienic equipment such as mixing tanks, improvised filters, packaging materials, and empty bottles.
Anere urged consumers to be cautious when purchasing alcoholic beverages and wines and encouraged the public to report suspicious products by contacting the task force’s hotline numbers.
The State Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force Against Economic Sabotage and Oil Vandalism, Collins Enebeli, reiterated the task force’s dedication to eradicating economic sabotage in Nigeria. He noted that Anambra State has become a significant hub for the production of fake products.
Some of the arrested workers, when questioned, claimed they were unaware of the illegal nature of the factory and were simply trying to earn a living. They pleaded for leniency, stating that their boss, identified only as Ikechukwu, was responsible for supplying over 1,000 cartons of wine daily.
