The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two men suspected of operating an illicit alcohol production network involved in the manufacture and distribution of adulterated alcoholic drinks across the state.
The suspects, identified as Ikechukwu Okeke, 42, and Okeke Chukwuemeka, 38, were apprehended in the early hours of Monday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad and the Volunteer Community Response Unit following intelligence reports on their activities.
Confirming the development in a statement on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were part of a syndicate engaged in the counterfeiting of popular alcoholic beverages.
According to him, the suspects allegedly confessed during interrogation and subsequently led investigators to a makeshift factory where the illegal operation was being carried out.
Ikenga disclosed that police operatives recovered a large quantity of suspected counterfeit alcoholic products, including various brands of schnapps, spirits and cream liqueurs, alongside chemicals believed to have been used in the adulteration process.
He added that officers also seized numerous empty bottles, labels and packaging materials allegedly intended for the continued production and circulation of fake drinks.
“The suspects are currently in custody, while the recovered exhibits have been secured for forensic analysis and evidential purposes,” he stated.
The police spokesman noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for the successful operation and warned individuals involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit consumable products to desist from such activities or face prosecution.
He further disclosed that investigations were ongoing to uncover the full scope of the syndicate’s operations and track down other members still at large.
The police reiterated their commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring that those responsible for circulating potentially harmful products are brought to justice.