At Lagos Airport, Customs Seizes N3.55 Billion Worth of Tramadol Pills

 At Lagos Airport, Customs Seizes N3.55 Billion Worth of Tramadol Pills

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Murtala Muhammed Airport Command announced on Wednesday that it ceased the importation of Tramadol tablets worth N3.55 billion from India and Pakistan.

During a news conference, Customs Area Controller Compt. Muhammad Yusuf disclosed that the Command received N74.28 billion in revenue from imports between January and October of 2023.

Compt. Yusuf continued by saying that the shipment of illegal substances was halted since it was believed to have gone over the amount permitted by the Federal Government.

He Declared;

 “In the area of anti-smuggling activities, the Command has intercepted unregistered pharmaceutical products suspected to be Tramadol tablets. The shipment was intercepted on the suspicion of exceeding the approved threshold by the Federal Government. The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at N3.55billion,”

Regarding revenue generation, Compt. Yusuf stated that 2023 collections exceeded 2022 collections by 23%.

“During the period under review January — October 2023, the Command collected revenue to the tune of N74.28billon from Customs duty and other charges. In comparison to the revenue collected same period in 2022, which stood at N60.05billion.

“This clearly shows a progressive difference of N14.23billion depicting a 23 per cent increase in collection. The Command so far has met 76.34% of its annual target. The was made possible as a result of resilience of officers in ensuring that agents were made to do proper declarations and to adhere strictly to import/export guidelines in tandem with extant laws,” he proceeded.

But he advised the Command's officers to continue being firm and determined in their performance of their duties.

“Finally, I want to use this medium to profoundly thank the Controller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for providing an enabling environment as regards the renovation in the Command. Let me extend same gratitude to Officers and Men of Murtala Muhammed Airport Command. I also want to urge Officers and men of the Command to remain focused and steadfast in discharging their assigned responsibilities,” he said.