Food and Drugs Board mounts search for fake beverage producer

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Monday cautioned the public to be wary of the illegal production and distribution of assorted fake alcoholic beverages by Multi Giant Ventures located at Taifa Baukina (Bankyese area), a suburb of Accra.

The FDB, in a statement, said it had impounded over 100 cartons of assorted fake alcoholic beverages, three large drums (250 litres) of ethanol, two gallons of flavourings, large quantities of alcoholic beverage labels, bottle cups, empty bottles and paper cartons belonging to Multi Giant Ventures from a residential facility.

Officials of FDB, during its post market surveillance activity upon a tip off, raided the residential facility in the company of Police officers to effect arrest of the producer, George Kofi Asomani, who owns Multi Giant Ventures. He was, however, not available at the time of arrival.

Investigations conducted by the team revealed that Mr. Asomani, who is a distributor of some known local alcoholic beverages including Agya Appiah Bitters, Ohene Ba Kasempa Abe Nsuo Gin, and Baron Captain’s Dry Gin, clandestinely produces fake J.H. Henke’s Schnapps, J.H. Captain’s Schnapps, Castle Bridge London Dry Gin and distributes to unsuspecting retailers of alcoholic beverages nationwide.

Fifteen (15) bottles of fake Hennessy Cognac (a product of France) were also found in the bedroom of Mr. Asomani, which he had turned into his production hall, where the fake alcoholic beverages were produced.

Mr. Asomani is currently on the run.

The Food and Drugs Board therefore wishes to advise retailers of alcoholic beverages to ensure that their supplies are coming from authentic sources as some of them for large profit margins tend to buy products from suspicious persons who normally sell such products at prices lower than the actual market prices.

Source: GNA