Officers from the Presidential Task Force Against Economic Sabotage and Oil Vandalism, in collaboration with the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade, have raided an illegal wine manufacturing facility in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The raid, which took place on Friday, resulted in the confiscation of counterfeit wines and the arrest of seven suspects.
The facility, located in the Nkpor area, had been producing and distributing imitation versions of popular wine brands, including Classic Heaven, Baron Devanis, Dutch Black, Triple MW, and Hennessy. The unapproved products were being sold for public consumption across the state.
Celestine Anere, Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, explained that the raid was carried out after intelligence was received regarding the illegal operations.
“We discovered that multiple warehouses had been converted into makeshift factories where various alcoholic beverages and wines were being produced and packaged,” Anere said.
During the operation, over 2,000 cartons of fake wine, packaging materials, and unsafe equipment, such as mixing tanks and improvised filters, were seized.
Authorities urged consumers to be cautious when purchasing alcoholic beverages and warned about the health risks posed by counterfeit products.
Collins Enebeli, the state coordinator of the Presidential Task Force, reiterated the commitment to eradicating economic sabotage, identifying Anambra State as a hotspot for counterfeit production.
Some of the suspects arrested claimed they were only workers and unaware of the factory’s illegal status. They pleaded for leniency, stating they were simply trying to make a living.
The task force urged the public to report any suspicious activities through their hotlines as efforts continue to clamp down on the distribution of fake products in the region.