A sachet water production factory in the Owerri West council area of Imo state has been sealed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

NAFDAC’s Chief Laboratory Technologist, Usman Ameh led a team of officials from the Agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Department in Apapa, Lagos, to seal the factory, on Friday.

The operation also led to the arrest of one person involved in illegal sachet water production.

Ameh said the agency found that the sealed factory was packaging water directly from boreholes without any form of treatment for the public, thus constituting water poisoning and contravening various production laws.

“We carried out the operation after receiving credible intelligence that the factory was producing water that is not potable and could constitute poison.

“A team of NAFDAC officials from the state came here and instructed the authorities of this factory to put every production process on hold but they still continued their illegal activities “, he said.

Ameh called on other sachet water producers still involved in illegal packing under unhygienic conditions to put a stop to such unwholesome practice or be ready to go to jail.

He said NAFDAC would not relent in its mandate of safeguarding the health of the nation and ensuring that only registered wholesome water and other regulated products are produced and sold to the public.

He also appealed to members of the public to always avail NAFDAC of information regarding illegal producers of regulated products.

The sealed factory, Aranatha Table Water, was instructed to stay out of production until it could meet the requirements to recommence production.