Another container laden with concealed cartons of Codeine and Tramadol, has been intercepted at the Tin Can Island port, weeks after similar seizure was also recorded at the Apapa port in Lagos.
The Nigera Customs Service, Apapa Command is in custody of a forty foot container loaded with eight hundred and five cartons of Codeine and one hundred and twenty four cartons of Tramadol at the Sifax 2 Terminal, in Tin Can Island port in Lagos.
The container, with Registration Number, TEMU 6164202, had been placed under strict Customs watchlist for a long time.
When it was eventually placed for examinations, it was discovered that it had these numbers of cartons of Codeine and Tramadol, all concealed in four hundred and eighty three hotpots, to deceive the Inspection and Examinations Officers.
Some weeks ago, similar seizure of a forty foot container loaded with cartons of Codeine, was intercepted by the Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service at Apapa port.
Presenting the drug to newsmen at Unity Bonded Terminal in Featac Town Lagos, the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta had expressed regrets over the frequency and enomousity of importation of illicit drugs through the Lagos ports and pledged to ensure that, more modern ways of tracking such imports are being deviced by the Nigeria Customs Service reduce the inflow of these drugs.
In that seizure, the container was loaded with seven hundred and thirty three cartons of one thousand four hundred and forty four bottles of Codeine which were neatly concealed in sets of cooking pots.
Comptroller Malanta has however assured Nigerians that investigations into the latest seizure, is ongoing to unravel the ful story behind the drugs and their Importers and their arrests and prosecution.
Codeine and Tramadol are drugs which have been banned by the Federal Government, due to their negative effects on the life of a Consumer, who do not take them in accordance with Doctor’s prescription.
Modupe Arotolu
