The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized counterfeit alcoholic beverages valued at more than ₦2 billion following a raid on the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.
The agency said the operation, conducted by its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, was based on credible intelligence about illegal activities within the complex.
According to a statement published on NAFDAC’s official X account on Tuesday, operatives uncovered more than 20 illegal stores allegedly concealed within makeshift parking spaces at the market.
The stores were reportedly used to counterfeit popular alcoholic beverage brands, revalidate expired or unsafe drinks for resale, and stockpile banned imported products.
NAFDAC said two suspects were arrested during the operation, while the seized products, valued at over ₦2 billion, were evacuated.
The agency said its operatives found suspects allegedly blending and counterfeiting alcoholic beverages, as well as preparing expired and unsafe products for resale.
It warned that the production and distribution of counterfeit, expired and unsafe alcoholic drinks posed serious public health risks.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspected illegal manufacturing, the revalidation of expired products and the sale of unsafe beverages to the appropriate authorities.
The latest seizure follows another enforcement operation in Lagos earlier in October, during which the agency confiscated alcoholic beverages estimated to be worth ₦300 million.
That operation targeted drinks packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with capacities below 200 millilitres, which were covered by the agency’s enforcement action against prohibited products.
NAFDAC operatives carried out the exercise at Ile-Epo Market, where distributors and retailers dealing in the affected products were reportedly apprehended.
The successive operations underscore the agency’s continuing efforts to curb the production, distribution and sale of prohibited alcoholic beverages and protect consumers from potentially dangerous products.
The latest seizure also highlights the scale of the alleged counterfeit trade uncovered at the International Trade Fair Complex, although the agency’s statement did not provide a breakdown of the seized products or indicate when further action would be taken against those arrested.
