Operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have uncovered a suspected counterfeit drinks production facility at Zamfara Plaza, BBA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.
The facility was allegedly used to relabel expired beverages, including Bullet Energy Drink, Don Julio tequila and Jameson whiskey.
Two men were arrested during the operation, but their identities had not been made public as of the time of filing this report.
A video posted on the agency’s X handle on Tuesday showed some of the drinks recovered at the facility, including Bullet Energy Drink, Don Julio tequila and Jameson whiskey, among others.
“#HappeningNow: NAFDAC has uncovered a suspected counterfeit production facility at Zamfara Plaza, BBA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.
“Two suspects were arrested at the scene while allegedly revalidating energy drinks and popular wine and whisky brands. More details to follow shortly,” the tweet accompanying the video read.
Some of the operatives frowned at the development, as one of them complained that people had been accusing the agency of ineffectiveness.
As the video captured some parts of the facility, the operatives, speaking in overlapping tones, said, “Bullets that we drink.
“This is the energy drink that millions of Nigerians take every day. What are they doing? They are revalidating it here, removing the expired labels,” one of the operatives said, as the video showed some packs of the energy drink — those revalidated and otherwise — piled on one another.
The footage also showed various bottles, chemicals and packaging materials. scattered around within the facility.
Explaining how the suspects operate, the operative said, “They go to bars and various nightclubs; they liaise with the bar managers and sell these to them for counterfeiting.”
“They want to kill Nigerians. At the end of the day, they will say NAFDAC is not working. This is just one out of the millions of these,” the operative lamented.
The agency had seized alcoholic beverages worth an estimated N300 million packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml during enforcement operations in Lagos State, adding that some distributors and retailers involved in the sale of the prohibited products were arrested.
The agency said the enforcement operations were carried out at Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island.