Nine public officers have been arrested following the interception of a container carrying a large quantity of undeclared Tramadol at Tema Port.

Those arrested include five Customs officers, one officer each from the Narcotics Control Commission, Port Security, the Energy Commission, and the Standards Authority. They have all been granted police enquiry bail.

The arrests followed the seizure by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of a container holding 299 cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride — totaling 146,932,000 tablets in 250mg and 225mg strengths, with an estimated weight of 34,847.2 kilograms.

The drugs were not declared in the import documentation.

The container, numbered TGHU6228715 and cleared under Bill of Entry 40226151187, was detained on February 26, 2026, and moved to a Customs-controlled area in Tema for detailed examination.

The shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was declared to contain assorted household items, including water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, energy-saving bulbs, and polypropylene material.

A joint re-examination on March 1, 2026, by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team revealed concealed Tramadol tablets hidden among the declared goods.

Officials stated that the seizure was based on intelligence gathered by the Preventive wing of the Customs Division. 

The importer and declarant have been handed over to the police to support ongoing investigations, while the seized shipment remains under Customs control.

The GRA emphasised its commitment to protecting national security, safeguarding public health, and maintaining the integrity of Ghana’s revenue and border management systems.