Nine public officers, including five Customs officials, have been taken into custody in connection with the interception of a large shipment of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port.
The arrests followed the seizure by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of a container containing 299 cartons, totaling 146,932,000 Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets (250mg and 225mg), weighing 34,847.2 kilograms.
Those placed on police inquiry bail include five Customs officers, one officer from the Narcotics Control Commission, one Port Security officer, one Energy Commission officer, and one officer from the Standards Authority.
According to the GRA, the seizure resulted from intelligence gathered by the Preventive Unit of the Customs Division. The container, numbered TGHU6228715 and cleared under Bill of Entry 40226151187, was detained on February 26, 2026, and moved to a Customs-controlled facility in Tema for detailed inspection.
The shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and was declared as carrying household items, including water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, energy-saving bulbs, and polypropylene materials. However, a joint re-examination by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team on March 1, 2026, revealed that the container concealed large quantities of undeclared Tramadol tablets.
The importer and declarant have been handed over to the police to assist with ongoing investigations, while the seized drugs remain under Customs control.
The GRA reiterated its commitment to safeguarding national security, protecting public health, and maintaining the integrity of Ghana’s revenue and border management systems.
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