By Our Correspondent
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Port Command, has intercepted 12 containers laden with Tramadol, expired drugs and 27,540 pieces of machetes with a Duty Paid Value of N1.8 billion.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adeniyi, announced the seizures while unveiling the contraband in Lagos on Thursday.
Adeniyi explained that the expired pharmaceutical products did not undergo the necessary regulatory requirements.
He added that some of the drugs had no National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) numbers.
“We also seized some containers due to false declarations to evade duty payments, which amounts to smuggling. In total, 12 containers have a DPV worth N1.8 billion.
“These importations are in flagrant violation of Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.
“One of the seized containers, a 40ft container with box number SEGU4339917, was declared to contain baclofen tablets, metoprolol succinate, atenolol gloves and losartan potassium.
“Others, as declared are hydrochlorothiazide, atorvastatin calcium, esomeprazole magnesium, diclofenac sodium topical gel, valsartan tablets, losartan potassium and timolol maleate.
“Upon examination, we found the container laden with daily health immune supplements that expired in July this year.
“There are also acyclovir capsules that expired in April 2024, valsartan tablets (320mg and 160mg) expired in June 2024 and prednisone tablets (USP 10mg) expired in June 2024.
“Other expired drugs in the containers were losartan potassium tablets (100mg), major aspirin low-dose pain reliever (81mg), vitamin D supplements and magnesium oxide tablets (420mg),” Adeniyi said.
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He said that in the examined container, as in many others seized by the Apapa Customs Command, the expired and unexpired medicaments did not carry the required NAFDAC number.
Customs also found another 20ft container (No. DFSU 1362498) with expired pharmaceutical products, containing cartons of Royal Tramadol (225mg).
The importer concealed the drug in expired cartons of Really Extra analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory tablets without a NAFDAC number.
The CGC also told newsmen that his men discovered another 20ft container (No. PCIU 1934537) containing rolls of Tramadol (225mg).
There were concealed in expired cartons of Zokomol and Diclofenac pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC registration number.
“In addition to pharmaceutical products, our operatives seized two 40ft containers (Nos. CAUU 5699055 and SUAN 8691124) containing 15,540 and 12,000 pieces of cutlasses and machetes, respectively,” he said.
Adeniyi commended the Apapa Customs Area Controller (CAC), Babatunde Olomu, and the officers for the anti-smuggling exploit.
According to him, the command handled the highest volume of trade for the Service, collecting the highest revenue.
He urged them to maintain the level of performance as he advised port users to embrace only legitimate trade.
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