Illegal importers of N7.31bn Tramadol, other goods, offered us N150m bribe, says Customs
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Thursday said the Apapa Command of the service intercepted 40 × 40ft containers of pharmaceutical products with Duty Paid Value of N7.31bn.
Ali disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria while addressing newsmen in Lagos concerning the intercepted pharmaceutical products, including Tramadol.
According to him, the service was able to achieve the feat through vigilance and intelligence gathering within the system as well as information from the National Agency for Foods, Drug Administration and Control.
“In their criminal desperation, importers of these items offered bribes to the tune of N150m to my officers to effect the release of just one 40-ft container with promises of even bigger sums to follow in the event that their attempt succeeded.
“The officers played along and eventually arrested three suspects with the money,” Ali said.
He reiterated that the ongoing interception of Tramadol and other pharmaceutical products with the bribe and the three suspects would be thoroughly investigated, to bring all those remotely connected to justice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency recently uncovered 340 million Tramadol tablets in 12 containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The tablets, which were in various dosages, ranged from 120mg to 250mg, were recovered from 12 containers at the port.
The Comptroller-General said officers at the Apapa Command and those of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, turned down $412,000 worth of bribe money offered them.
(NAN)
