Seme Customs intercepts N1.4bn worth of tramadol concealed in container

Operatives of Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, have intercepted some items suspected to be tramadol capsules concealed with 200 packages jumbo size of adult diapers in a container.

Public Relations Officer of the command, Hussein Abdulahi, in a statement on Sunday said the items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.4billion.

Abdulahi quoted the Controller of the Command, Comptroller Bello Jibo, as saying that the container was handed over to the command on 15 November 2021 by the Republic of Benin Authorities under transit to Nigeria.

Jibo said the container marked MRKU 9090415 came under the watch of officers of the command as no importer or his representative have come forward to continue the process of clearance procedure.

“On the December 20, 2O21, the Nigeria Customs Service invited other security agencies and stakeholders to witness the examination of the said container.

The following items were discovered during 100 percent examination: 200 packages of adult diapers, 100 cartons of Gabadol 120mg (suspected to be tramadol) equivalent to 360kg.

“The diapers were smartly arranged at the front of the container while the drugs were at the back.

 The Controller, Comptroller Bello Jibo directed that samples be taken out officially and handed over to National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ascertain and confirm the drugs (Gabadol 120mg),” the statement said.

The Controller said the command has initiated a full- scale investigation with a view to fish out those involved in the illicit importation.

While warning perpetrators of unlawful activities to avoid the Command or meet their waterloo, Comptroller Jibo said officers and men of the Command are not losing guards at ensuring that smuggling under any guise is brought to the barest minimum.

He said facilitation of legitimate trade remains the cardinal objectives of the command.