An illegal factory where fake wines are produced, has been busted in Lagos by the officers of the State’s Police command.
The illegal factory where the fake wines are produced, is an uncompleted storey building in Aboru area of Oke-Odo, Lagos. It was gathered that 4000 bottles of the adulterated wine of different brands, 1000 empty bottles of popular wines were recovered from the factory, as the police arrested the producer, 48- year old Uju Daniel Ughanze, an indigene of Anambra state.
The uncompleted building which served as an illegal factory, has a room used for processing the chemical, another was used to fill the bottles, six rooms upstairs as stores for the finished drinks and also served as residential apartment for the suspect’s family.
Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Imohimi Edgal, who expressed shock and worry over the health implication of the fake drinks on Lagosians, told newsmen that samples of the recovered products would be sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC for laboratory analysis.
He said: “This matter is an interesting case because it has to do with the health of Lagosians.
“On December 18, 2018, at about 2pm, the command received credible information that there exists a fake wine/ brewery in an uncompleted 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 mobilize to the scene, search and seal off the factory. When the team arrived the scene, they executed a search warrant which enable them to search and recover the following items: 4000 bottles of already produced, packed and labeled adulterated wine of different brands. 1000 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/ beverages.
”During interrogation, it was discovered that owner of the factory, a secondary school dropout, has neither the requisite qualification nor license to embark on such type of business”.
However the suspect who claimed he had not commence sales of the product, told newsmen that he was just keeping them until NAFDAC gave him approval.
“I am a creative minded person and all I 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.
