The Anambra State Police Command says it has uncovered an illegal factory in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area, where fake soft drinks were being produced.
The operation, carried out by officers of the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu, led to the dismantling of the facility and the arrest of a suspect found at the scene. Several counterfeit drinks branded as Iyi Obeleagu Juice were also recovered.
In a statement on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the products were being manufactured without approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and posed serious health risks.
The statement read in part:
“Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, on September 3, 2025, uncovered and dismantled an illegal factory producing toxic fake soft drinks in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area.
“The operatives arrested one Chigozie Okafor, aged 48 years, in connection with the illicit act and recovered several fake juice drinks branded as ‘Iyi Obeleagu Juice’, which were being manufactured without approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
“The products are considered highly harmful to the health of both adults and children.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed a thorough investigation to track other accomplices and warned individuals involved in similar crimes to desist, stressing that the Command will not relent in safeguarding public health.
This latest discovery follows a similar raid in October 2024 when security operatives shut down an illegal wine manufacturing company in Onitsha, where fake exotic wines were mass-produced and distributed.
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