- According to Mr. Cyril Monye, the NAFDAC Public Relations Officer for the South-South Zone, the perpetrators had been using a dilapidated shop as a front to disguise their illegal production facility
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has reported the dismantling of a counterfeit bottled water operation in the Pipeline Road area of Eneka, located in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Acting swiftly on a tip-off from vigilant members of the public, agency officials uncovered the illicit activity on Friday morning.
According to Mr. Cyril Monye, the NAFDAC Public Relations Officer for the South-South Zone, the perpetrators had been using a dilapidated shop as a front to disguise their illegal production facility. Monye further revealed that one of the distributors of the counterfeit bottled water was apprehended while in the process of loading the product for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
The statement read in part, “They pick used Eva plastic bottles which they fill with contaminated water fetched from a paint bucket while using dirty rubber funnel covered with clothing material as filter.
“The already printed Eva labels were then affixed into the plastic bottles and corked with already fake fitted Eva cocks.
“One of the distributors of the adulterated water who identified himself as Chibunna James was arrested as he was loading the product for sale, while the kingpin/producer is at large and efforts are on to track him down.”
Speaking on the incident, the NAFDAC Coordinator in Rivers State, Emmanuel Onogwu, enjoined members of the public to always avail the agency of useful information that will lead to arrest of criminals who specialise in adulteration and faking of regulated products.
The statement further said the fake products of 30 packs were eventually evacuated to NAFDAC office in Port Harcourt, while the uncorked ones were emptied.