Customs, APMT Bicker Over Missing N60m Tramadol At Apapa Port

Security Agencies Have Failed- Experts

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS and APMT, Nigeria’s biggest container terminal operators are trading blames over a large quantity of Tramadol that recently disappeared from the Apapa Port.

The hard drug has been banned by the federal government.

Close to 300 cartons of the banned substance are believed to have been stolen by some suspects who the security agencies have now launched a manhunt for.

But while speaking to the magazine, a security expert, Albert Babatunde, wondered how a large quantity of “tramadol, already banned by the government could get missing in the full glare of many security agencies working at our ports.

This is mind boggling and the attempt by some criminal elements in possible connivance with some security agencies to destroy the lives of our youths must not only be investigated whoever all the culprits must be punished.

Apart from the customs other security agencies working at the ports are DSS, Police, NIA and others.

But while speaking on the issue on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller, NCS Apapa command, Comptroller Abba Kura accused the Dutch firm of frustrating the efforts of federal government in combating the spread of dangerous and hard drugs in the country.

He stated that large cartons of Tramadol worth N3 million had already being seized by the command.

Kura disclosed that some elements have already broken into the container in which the killer drug was kept and made away with a larger quantity.

He fingered some employees of the company in the alleged theft.

Two suspects, Micheal Ajibade and Olatunde Emmanuel, the controller said, were arrested during an attempt to use an ambulance with registration number, LND 605XW,belonging to the firm to steal cartons of drug out of the ports.

One of the suspects has already confessed that he was bribed to commit the theft.

In spite of this, Comptroller Kura said the command has already launched investigations into the matter with a view to come to the bottom of it.

Abba said of the seizure ‘Those behind the failed attempt to bring in cartons of Tramadol are saboteurs with some internal collaborators. On Friday, July 12, 2019, at about 11 pm, my officers on routine surveillance intercepted an ambulance (Hyundai) with registration number LND 605 XW Lagos, suspected to be laden with offending articles of trade.

“Upon examination, the said ambulance was discovered to be carrying ten cartons of 225kg Tramadol tablets valued at N2, 814,139.00. Two suspects named: Michael Ajibola (driver), and Olatunde Emmanuel (escort) were arrested along with the ambulance. You will recall that the Federal Government through the National Agency for Food Drug and Control (NAFDAC) had banned the importation of Tramadol in excess.”

The criminals will not go unpunished he also said adding that efforts by some operators to frustrate the war against illicit drug will be resisted by the service.

“Furthermore, an investigation into the source of the stolen tramadol revealed that the drugs were pilfered from an undeclared container.

Physical examination further revealed that 211 cartons of the drugs were missing from the container. The duty paid value of these stolen drugs stands at N59,378,332.09,” he said.

APMT has however denied the allegation.