The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized alcoholic beverages worth an estimated N300m packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml during enforcement operations across major markets in Lagos State.
The agency disclosed this in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Sunday, adding that some distributors and retailers involved in the sale of the prohibited products were arrested during the operations.
According to NAFDAC, the enforcement operations were conducted at Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island.
The agency said its officials evacuated several cartons of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml from the affected locations.
It added that distributors and retailers were arrested during the operation at Ile-Epo Market, while enforcement raids were also carried out at Ojuwoye Market and Oke-Arin Market.
NAFDAC said investigations showed that some distributors and retailers were allegedly hoarding the prohibited products amid increased demand and rising prices.
The agency said the enforcement exercise was part of efforts to ensure compliance with the ban on the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC warned distributors, retailers and other operators against selling, distributing or hoarding the prohibited products.
The agency stressed that the ban remains in force and that the estimated value of the seized products was N300m.
The latest enforcement follows NAFDAC’s directive on August 25 ordering manufacturers of banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate bottles below 200ml to recall the products nationwide or risk closure of their facilities.
NAFDAC has also vowed to fully enforce the Federal Government-approved prohibition on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET or plastic bottles below 200ml, describing the ban as irrevocable.
The agency said the years of grace granted to manufacturers by the Federal Government to stop producing the products had expired.
NAFDAC urged distributors, retailers and other operators to comply with the ban or face enforcement action.