Benin Republic Hands Over Container Load Of Tramadol Worth N1.4bn To Customs
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has received items suspected to be tramadol capsules concealed with packages of jumbo size adult diapers in a 40-feet container from officers of the Republic of Benin.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Hussain Abdulahi, revealed that the items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,447,297,050.
Abdullahi, who quoted the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bello Jibo, said the container was handed over to the command by authorities in the Republic of Benin under transit to Nigeria on November 15.
According to Jibo, neither the owner nor any other person has come forward to continue the process of clearance procedure the customs took delivery of the container.
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“On the December 20, Seme Customs Service invited other security agencies and stakeholders to witness the examination of the said container,” Jibo was quoted as saying in the statement.
“The items discovered during 100 per cent examination are 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.
“I 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.”
The controller added that the command has initiated a full-scale investigation with a view to fishing out those involved in the illicit importation.
