Nine public officials, including five Customs officers, have been arrested following the interception of a large consignment of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port.
The arrests come after the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) seized a container carrying 299 cartons containing 146,932,000 tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride (250mg and 225mg), with a total weight of 34,847.2 kilogrammes.
Those apprehended and granted Police inquiry bail include five Customs officers, one officer from the Narcotics Control Commission, one Port Security officer, one officer from the Energy Commission of Ghana, and one official from the Ghana Standards Authority.
According to the GRA, the operation was initiated based on intelligence gathered by the Preventive Unit of the Customs Division. The container, numbered TGHU6228715 and processed 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, which originated from the United Arab Emirates, had been declared as containing household items, including water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, energy-saving bulbs and polypropylene materials.
However, a joint re-examination conducted by Customs officials and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team on March 1, 2026, uncovered substantial quantities of concealed and undeclared Tramadol tablets hidden inside the container.
The importer and declarant have been handed over to the Police to assist with ongoing investigations, while the seized drugs remain under Customs custody.
The GRA reaffirmed its commitment to protecting national security, safeguarding public health, and upholding the integrity of Ghana’s revenue and border management systems.
Source: Citi News
