A one-by-40 ft (1×40ft) container laden with 20 cartons containing 838,500 pieces of trapacking tablets (225mg) and 90,010 pieces of trapacking capsules (120mg) cleverly hidden in assorted bubblegums and candies has been seized by the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
While briefing newsmen at the Classic Bonded Terminal, Ago Palace Way Festac, Lagos where the illicit drugs were seized and showcased, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf, said the container was abandoned by the importer for close to four months, having sensed it might have been tracked by Customs operatives to the terminal.
“The container has been in the port since 3rd July, moving from the port down to here (bonded terminal). The importer is trying to buy time to see whether he can undermine our operatives, but we are really on top of our game and will continue to be. If he is not tired of investing, we are also not going to be tired of making him lose his investments.”
“The importer had cleverly concealed these drugs at the back end of the container just to undermine our operatives. When we searched the container, we found out that there are 20 cartons of this kind of drug. Trapaking 225 contains 838,500 tablets, while Trapaking Caps 120mg, 90,010 capsules. We thank God for giving us the wisdom and zeal to be able to track it and make seizure because it contravenes sections 46 and 47 of CEMA Cap C45, the Law of the Federation of Nigeria” he revealed.
According to Malanta, the hard drugs were imported from India “The country of origin of the drugs is India, and we have talked about our layers of control architectures apart from the collaboration and intelligence received, this is purely the work of the operatives and officers here in this Command. And I don’t have to explain how we taught them to do this work, but I’m sure not only this terminal, other terminals in the port operate the same way, so there is no hiding place.”
The CAC decried the harmful effect of the drugs as they are more deadly than normal tramadol. He thereby warned unrepentant importers to desist or face the wrath of the Service as Ports under his watch won’t condone such illicit trade.
“The CGC, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has initiated the e-Customs modernization which is a complete automation of Customs business processes. This begins from the port of loading to the destination where the manifest would show the content of the cargo. We believe that with the introduction of that system, every illicit cargo will be trapped, not only drugs” he assured.
While praising the effort of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other sister security agencies at the Port for their fearless fight against illicit drugs, he said the importation of Tramadol drug into the country is a near impossibility as the supply is difficult compared to past years.
Similarly, the NDLEA Commander, Apapa Special Area Command, Ishiaka Yusuf Kwajaffa extolled the ruggedness of the Nigeria Customs Service in ridding the nation of such banned illicit substance, he also assured that NDLEA is all out to track all drug barons in the country and bring them to book.
“It is written 120mg, but it is just in form of a cover. The actual potency of this is almost 15 times the normal tramadol. This is the first time I’m coming across this particular one called Tepintedol, also a brand of Tramadol, even though it’s written as 120mg, it is just a cover.”
“We have here about 800,500 tablets and 90,000 capsules. The current street value is about ₦1,560,000,000 for these 20 cartons; each carton goes for about ₦78 million. It might tend to go up because of the pressure we are putting on them, so it’s going to be so scarce. Just like in economics, the lower the supply, the higher the demand and price; so we are ready for them”. Kwajaffa stated.
The NDLEA Commander thereby warmed all illicit drug dealers to engage in legitimate trades or fall into the Web of the Law.