Customs Intercepts N1.5 Billion Worth Of Tramadol In Lagos
The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted one by 40ft (1×40ft) Container laden with 20 cartons of tramadol with street value of N1.5 billion.
Briefing newsmen in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta, said having sensed that the container had been tracked by customs operatives to the terminal, the importer deserted it for almost four months.
“The container has been in the port since July 3, moving from the port down to here (bonded terminal).
“The importer is trying to buy time to see whether he can undermine our operatives, but we are really on top of our game and will continue to be.
“If he is not tired of investing, we are also not going to be tired of making him lose his investments.
“The importer had cleverly concealed these drugs at the back end of the container just to undermine our operatives. We searched the container, we found out that there are 20 cartons of this kind of drugs.
“Trapaking 225 contains 838,500 tablets, while for Trapaking Caps 120mg, 90,010 capsules. We thank God for giving us the wisdom and zeal to be able to track it and make seizure because it contravenes sections 46 and 47 of CEMA Cap C45, the law of the Federation of Nigeria”, Malanta said, adding that the country of origin of the drugs is India.
Speaking on new measures introduced by customs to trap illicit cargos, he said: “The CGC Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has initiated the e-Customs modernization which is a complete automation of customs business processes.
“This begins from the port of loading to the destination where the manifest would show the content of the cargo. We believe that with the introduction of that system, every illicit cargo will be trapped, not only drugs.”
Also speaking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Commander, Apapa Special Area Command, Ishiaka Yusuf Kwajaffa, eulogized the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts in the fight to rid the country of illicit drugs.
“It is written 120mg, but it is just in form of a cover. The actual potency of this is almost 15 times the normal tramadol. This is the first time I’m coming across this particular one called Tepintedol, also a brand of Tramadol, even though it’s written as 120mg, it is just a cover.
“We have here about 800,500 tablets and 90,000 capsules. The current street value is about N1,560,000,000 for these 20 cartons; each carton goes for about N78 million.
“It might tend to go up because of the pressure we are putting on them, so it’s going to be so scarce.
“Just like in economics, the lower the supply, the higher the demand and price; so we are ready for them”, Kwajaffa said.
-diplomatic diary
