The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area one Command has on Wednesday said it arrested a driver of an ambulance belonging to Medbury Medical Services and his escort for smuggling 10 cartons of 225 miligram (mg) of stolen Tramadol out of Apapa Port.
The Medbury ambulance with registration number LND605XW, which original responsibility was to provide emergency medical services in Apapa port, was intercepted with the contraband drugs worth over N2.8 million, while trying to smuggle the drugs out of the ports in an emergency manner.
The seizure was in line with the Federal Government’s ban through the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on the importation of Tramadol in excess of 100mg.
Briefing newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, Muhammed Abba-Kura, Customs Area Controller of the command, who paraded the vehicle and the drugs in Apapa Port, said two male suspects named Michael Ajibade, driver of the Medbury ambulance and Olatunde Emmanuel, escort, were arrested in connection with the illegal deal.
According to him, investigations are on going to further uncover those behind the deal.
“On the night of Friday 12 July 2019, at about 2300 hours (11.00pm), my officers on routine surveillance intercepted an ambulance suspected to be leaving the port with offending articles of trade. Upon examination, the ambulance was discovered to be carrying 10 cartons of 225mg Tramadol tablets valued at N2.8 million,” he said.
Abba Kura disclosed that further investigations have revealed that the drugs were stolen from a container waiting for examination in Apapa port. “About 211 cartons of Tramadol with Duty paid Value of N59.3 million were missing from the containers, and we are yet to trace them.
“It is regrettable to state that while the Customs is working round-the-clock to free this country of illicit goods, some unpatriotic citizens are not relenting in their desperate urge to sabotage our efforts,” he lamented.
He warned that anybody found wanting in connection with the deal would be charged to court of competent jurisdiction for proper prosecution.
Abba Kura however mentioned that the Apapa command has realised about N20 billion in the last 12 working days (July1 to 15th 2019) in addition to over N203 billion revenue generated by the command from January to June this year.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
