Nine public officers have been arrested and granted Police enquiry bail after authorities intercepted a container loaded with a large quantity of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port.
The suspects include five Customs officers from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), as well as one officer each from the Narcotics Control Commission, the Energy Commission, the Ghana Standards Authority and the Port Security.
The arrests follow the seizure by the Customs Division of the GRA of a container carrying 299 cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride — amounting to 146,932,000 tablets in 250mg and 225mg strengths. The total weight of the consignment is estimated at 34,847.2 kilogrammes. The drugs had not been declared in the import documentation.
Officials say the seizure was based on intelligence gathered by the Preventive wing 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 detailed inspection.
The shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and was declared to contain assorted household items, including water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, energy-saving bulbs and polypropylene material.
However, a joint re-examination conducted on March 1, 2026, by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team uncovered concealed quantities of Tramadol tablets hidden among the declared goods.
The importer and declarant have been handed over to the Police to assist with ongoing investigations, while the seized drugs remain under Customs control.
The GRA reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding national security, protecting public health and upholding the integrity of Ghana’s revenue and border management systems.
