The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 10 substandard and unregistered sachet water factories in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The unregistered factories were closed during an operation by NAFDAC, which was carried out in Diobu, Bundu Water side, NTA Road, Iwofe, Rumuolumini, Eleoparanwo, Ada George and Eagle Island, arrested four persons, including, Levi Israel, 30, Monica Amadi, 48, Nduka Uba Udechukwu, 27 and Chukwu Lloyd, 39.

The state coordinator of NAFDAC, Mrs. Mercy Ndukwe, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said four buses, three sachet water packaging machines, rolls of films and three generator sets used in the business, were also impounded during the operation.

Ndukwe stated that the operation is aimed at sanitizing the chaotic sachet water business in the state, saying that in as much as NAFDAC encourages small scale producers and entrepreneurship, it will never compromise standards.

She said, “In course of this operation we discovered that some licensed sachet waters are no longer been operated by their original owners; they have sold off their franchise to someone else who in turn set up a substandard factory without consulting NAFDAC and with absolute disregard to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).