>
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has received items suspected to be tramadol capsules concealed with packages of jumbo size adult diapers in a 40-feet container from Republic of Benin.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Hussain Abdulahi.
According to the statement, the items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,447,297,050.
Speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Bello Jibo, said the container was handed over to the command by authorities in Republic of Benin, on November 15.
Jibo said neither the owner nor any other person has come forward to continue the clearance process since Customs took delivery of the container.
“On December 20, Seme Customs Service invited other security agencies and stakeholders to witness the examination of the said container.
“The items discovered during 100 per cent examination are 200 packages of adult diapers, 100 cartons of Gabadol 120mg suspected to be tramadol equivalent to 360kg. The diapers were smartly arranged at the front of the container while the drugs were at the back.
“I directed that samples be taken out officially and handed over to National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ascertain and confirm the drugs,” Jibo said.
The controller added that the command has initiated a full-scale investigation in order to fish out those involved in the illicit importation.