Customs intercepts N1.8bn tramadol in Lagos airport

The Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 23 packages of tramadol with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth N1.8 billion between January and March.

The Customs Area Comptroller, Mohammed Yusuf, at news conference in Lagos on Wednesday said that the pharmaceutical products were imported from India and Pakistan.

Yusuf listed the seized items to include 22 packets of tramadol (225mg) and 12 packets of tramadol (120mg) tablets.

According to Yusuf, the above seizures were recorded based on intelligence-driven operations within the airport.

He added that the tramadol tablets in their custody had been scheduled for handing over to the Commander of Narcotics, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

“In the spirit of inter-departmental cooperation, this will further strengthen our collaboration in safeguarding our youths from the use of harmful substances which can endanger their lives and the environments.

“We shall intensify more efforts in making our communities a safer place for all of us to live,” he said.

On export, and for the period under review, he said that the command recorded exportation of goods worth N100.93 billion from the country.

“These exported goods include: non-commercial and commercial foods with a total weight of 653 tonnes and Free On Board (FOB) value of N4.81 billion.

“The command is working hard to promote export businesses to boost forex earnings for the country,” he said.

The customs boss noted that the command generated a total sum of N21.4 billion as revenue in the period under review.

“It is pertinent to note that in the corresponding period of 2022, the command generated N17.5 billion which shows a progressive difference in the sum of N3.8 billion, depicting a 21.97 per cent increase.

“It is worthy to note that the revenue activities of the command comprise importation and exportation of legitimate goods, goods under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

He pointed out that in the area of stakeholder’s engagement, the command had maintained an open-door policy and had resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders.

He appreciated esteemed partners in the clearance value chain for their unwavering support and also encourage them to always brace up to the emerging challenges as they work together to move the nation forward.

“We appreciate the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali(Rtd) and his management team for necessary support to discharge their duties and officers and men of the command for their dedication and commitment to discharging their responsibilities,” he said.