5 Customs officers, 4 others arrested over undeclared tramadol seizure

Nine public officers, including five Customs officers, have been arrested in connection with the interception of a large consignment of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port.

The arrests follow the seizure by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of a container loaded with 299 cartons containing 146,932,000 tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride (250mg and 225mg), weighing a total of 34,847.2 kilogrammes.

Those arrested and placed on Police inquiry bail include five Customs officers, one officer from the Narcotics Control Commission, one Port Security officer, one Energy Commission officer and one officer from the Standards Authority.

According to the GRA, the seizure was triggered by intelligence gathered by the Preventive Unit of the Customs Division. The container, numbered TGHU6228715 and cleared under Bill of Entry 40226151187, was detained on February 26, 2026, and transferred to a Customs-controlled area in Tema for further examination.

The shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and had been declared as containing household items such as water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, energy-saving bulbs and polypropylene materials.

However, a joint re-examination conducted by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team on March 1, 2026, uncovered large quantities of concealed and undeclared Tramadol tablets hidden within the container.

The importer and declarant have since been handed over to the Police to assist with ongoing investigations, while the seized consignment remains under Customs control.

The GRA added that it remains committed to safeguarding national security, protecting public health and preserving the integrity of Ghana’s revenue and border management systems.

CitiNewsRoom