Richard Ginika Izuora
Benin Republic has officially handed over items suspected to be tramadol capsules concealed with packaged jumbo size adult diapers in a container to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command.
Customs Command Public Relations Officer, Hussain Abdulahi explained that the items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,447,297,050.
Abdullahi quoted the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bello Jibo, as saying the container was handed over to the Command on November 15, by the Republic of Benin Authorities under transit to Nigeria.
Jibo said that the container came under the watch of officers of the Command as no importer or his representative have come forward to continue the process of clearance procedure.
“On the December 20, Seme Customs Service invited other security agencies and stakeholders to witness the examination of the said container.
“The items discovered during 100 per cent examination are 200 packages of adult diapers, 100 cartoons of Gabadol 120mg suspected to be tramadol equivalent to 360kg.
“The diapers were smartly arranged at the front of the container while the drugs were at the back.
“I directed that samples be taken out officially and handed over to National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ascertain and confirm the drugs,” he said.
The controller said that the command had initiated a full-scale investigation with a view to fishing out those involved in the illicit importation.