Police, Beverage Manufacturers Join Forces to Combat Packaging Theft and Sabotage
The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with beverage manufacturers, raided several illegal sites in Onitsha, Anambra State, and neighbouring areas, apprehending individuals involved in destroying returnable packaging materials, including glass bottles and plastic crates belonging to various beverage companies.
Speaking about the operation, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, explained that the police, working alongside member companies, acted on credible intelligence to target factories involved in illegal disposal, theft, and unauthorised recycling of returnable packaging assets. These include returnable glass bottles and plastic crates.
Mr. Ajayi-Kadir added that the association had been alerted by its members about owners of these illegal factories destroying returnable packaging for reuse, thereby causing significant financial losses. He stated that the group had engaged relevant security and regulatory authorities through formal petitions and intelligence-sharing, seeking lawful intervention to halt these illegal activities, recover company assets, and dismantle unauthorised recycling operations.
According to him, member companies identified multiple illegal sites across the South-East where bottles and crates are crushed and resold as raw materials. Police investigations revealed that large quantities of these assets are diverted from legitimate channels into informal recycling networks. He also disclosed that, in several cases, reusable bottles were deliberately broken and crates shredded for sale as raw materials, undermining the circular packaging model adopted by beverage firms.
“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,” he said.
He described the acts as criminal and a form of serious economic sabotage, emphasising that these assets belong to beverage companies which have invested heavily in sustainable packaging materials to promote environmental protection. He warned those involved to cease such activities, asserting that the association will continue collaborating with law enforcement to ensure offenders are held accountable and face appropriate legal consequences.
He further highlighted that, beyond asset loss, these activities pose risks to businesses, including supply chain disruptions, increased operational costs, environmental hazards from unsafe recycling practices, and threats to public safety.
“Returnable Packaging Materials (RPMs) are company-owned assets designed for multiple reuse cycles and are vital to sustainability, cost-efficiency, and maintaining product quality. It is a criminal act to destroy them,” he added.
He called on relevant government agencies to intensify actions against the illegal destruction and diversion of returnable packaging outside the official value chain. The public was also encouraged to report any suspicious activities related to this matter to the police or via the beverage companies’ customer care lines.
Over the years, beverage companies have faced ongoing challenges relating to illegal disposal, theft, and unauthorised recycling of their returnable packaging materials.