Customs intercepts cartons of Tramadol worth N3m in Lagos

…Generates N1.7bn in Niger, Kwara, Kogi States in Q1

Temitope Adebayo

The Nigeria Customs Command in Apapa, Lagos, has intercepted an ambulance carrying 10 cartons of 225 milligrammes of Tramadol, which was valued at almost N3 million.

This is even as the Niger Command of Nigeria Customs generated N1.7 billion as revenue in the first half of the year 2019, representing 56 per cent of its N3.05 billion target for the year.

The drugs, which were allegedly pilfered from an undeclared 40-foot container domiciled in the Apapa port, the Customs said on Wednesday.

The ambulance with registration number, LND 605 XW, was intercepted inside the port as its contents were being taken to an undisclosed destination.

Upon arrest and investigation, the 40-foot container, imported from India, was found with 211 cartons of the drugs still missing.

Mohammed Abba-Kura, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, said the ambulance was intercepted at 11 p.m. on Friday.

He said the container was undeclared among those shipped into the country and investigation revealed that the original seal on the container had been broken and replaced with another.

Two staff of Medbury Medical Services, Michael Ajibade (driver) and Olatunde Emmanuel (escort) of the ambulance bus, have been arrested in connection to the seized drugs and more people will be quizzed to unravel perpetrators, the Customs said.

“Physical examination further revealed that 211 cartons of the drugs were missing from the container,” Mr Abba-Kura.

“The duty paid value of these stolen drugs stands at N59,378,332.09.

Customs officials intercepted Tramadol in an Ambulance Customs officials intercepted

“Ordinarily, nobody would suspect that such an act can be committed by supposed stakeholders that ought to be collaborating with the service to rid the nation of these harmful drugs.

“So far, a preliminary investigation has commenced, and we are currently working hard to ascertain the level of involvement of other members of staff of the AP Moller Terminals (terminal operator) with a view to getting to the root of this unfortunate incident.”

Meanwhile, the Niger Area Comptroller, Yusuf Abba-Kassim, told the Newsmen yesterday that the N1.7 billion revenue generation in the first half of the year 2019 was an improvement of N800 million over the amount generated during the same period in 2018.

“What we have is more than 100 per cent improvement, the difference is N855 million,” he said.

Mr Abba-Kassim said the revenue was generated from the command’s activities within the three states of its coverage comprising Niger, Kwara and Kogi.

He said that about N277 million was collected as revenue in June, adding that measures had been puCxt in place to ensure optimal revenue generation in the area.