Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command, yesterday said it had arrested one person in connection with two containers of banned 225 milligrams of Tramadol Hydrochloride declared as electrical static converters and ciprofloxacin and other contraband valued at N124 million at Tin Can Island Port.
The banned pharmaceutical product was imported from India. Already, the service has seized 3,623 cartons of Tramadol and other dangerous drugs laden in four containers in February at the Lagos Port Complex.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller Musa Abdullah, said that the seizure came against the backdrop of the ban on codeine syrup by the Federal Government. He explained that the banned drugs was being used to treat severe pain and had been considered a safer alternative to other narcotic analgesics like hydrocodone, and methadone.
However, Abdullah said it was currently being abused by some youths across the country, leading to an unhealthy addiction and adverse side effects. He said: “It is believed to be fast selling and being shipped into the country through channels suspected to be unlawful. Despite efforts to discourage importation of illicit drugs, some unrepentant fellows still engage in such misdemeanour.
We are collaborating with NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on this seizure.” In February , 936 cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride tablet (225mg) laden in container marked MRSU 3637149, 56 cartons of Collstop Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules (4mg), 368 cartons of Tramadol capsules BP (120mg) in another container number MRKU 6196764 as well as 540 cartons of Tramadol capsules (250mg) and 160 cartons of Dobumol Analgesic were shipped from India by Villa Gold Pharmacy.
Other seizures declared yesterday by the command were e-waste laden in three 40-feet containers, 1,239 bales of used clothes stacked in five 40- feet containers and one container of used tyres. Abdullah said that between January and April, a total of N104.5 billion was realised as against a projection collection of N116 billion, leading to 90.09 per cent performance. He noted that the revenue was N22.68 billion above the N82.154 billion collected in the same period in 2017.
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