Nine public officers have been arrested and placed on Police enquiry bail in connection with the interception of a container carrying a massive consignment of unmarked Tramadol at the Tema Port.

The suspects comprise five Customs officers, an officer of the Narcotics Control Commission, a Port Security officer, an officer of the Energy Commission and an officer of the Ghana Standards Authority.

The arrests follow the seizure by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of a container loaded with 299 cartons containing 146,932,000 tablets of undeclared Tramadol Hydrochloride in 250mg and 225mg strengths, with a total weight of 34,847.2 kilogrammes.

According to an official statement dated yesterday, 3 March 2026, the operation was triggered by intelligence received by the Preventive Wing of the Customs Division.

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

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

However, a joint re-examination conducted by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team on 1 March 2026 revealed significant discrepancies. In addition to some of the declared items, officers uncovered large quantities of Tramadol tablets, both concealed and undeclared, hidden within the container.

The importer and the declarant have been handed over to the Police to assist with ongoing investigations, while the seized consignment remains under Customs control.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific roles allegedly played by the arrested officers but confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances under which the container was processed and cleared.

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