Police Burst Illegal Sites Destroying Beverage Bottles, Crates in Anambra

The Beer Sectoral Group (BSG), a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday, February 19, 2025, stormed some factories in Anambra and its environs, apprehending some persons for destroying returnable packaging materials, including glass bottles and plastic crates belonging to various beverage manufacturing companies.

Speaking on the development, the Executive Secretary, Beer Sectoral Group, Abiola Laseinde, was quoted in a statement to have explained that the BSG, working with the police, acted on credible intelligence and stormed the factories to crack down on illegal disposal, theft, and unauthorised recycling of its returnable packaging materials, notably returnable glass bottles and plastic crates.

Laseinde noted that the owners of these factories were involved in destroying returnable packaging materials for reuse, thereby causing the businesses to lose millions of naira in investments.

She stated that the group had engaged relevant security and regulatory authorities through formal petitions and intelligence-sharing, seeking lawful intervention to curb the illegal practices, recover company assets, and dismantle unauthorised recycling operations.

According to her, the group identified multiple locations in the South-east where they crush bottles and crates for resale as raw materials.

She added that investigations had revealed that significant quantities were being diverted from legitimate channels into informal recycling networks.

She also disclosed that, in several instances, bottles were deliberately broken and crates were intentionally shredded for sale as raw materials, undermining the beverage companies’ circular packaging model.

“The recent raid is the outcome of sustained engagements and intelligence-led investigations, and represents a decisive step by authorities to protect legitimate business operations, uphold environmental standards, and deter further illegal activity,” she said.

She described the act as criminal and a serious economic sabotage, noting that these assets remain the property of beverage companies that have invested heavily in these sustainable packaging materials to protect the environment. She warned those involved in the act to desist, as offenders will be held liable and made to face the wrath of the law.

She stressed further that, beyond the asset loss, the activities of these individuals pose significant risks to businesses, including supply chain disruptions, increased operational costs, environmental risks arising from unsafe recycling practices and threats to public safety.

“These Returnable Packaging Materials (RPMs) are company-owned assets designed for multiple reuse cycles and form a critical part of their sustainability, cost-efficiency, and product quality systems. It’s a criminal activity to destroy them,” she added.

She urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity of this nature to the police or call the consumer care lines of the beverage companies.

Over the years, the Beer Sectoral Group and other beverage companies have been contending with a sustained challenge involving the illegal disposal, theft, and unauthorised recycling of their returnable packaging materials (RPMs).