Nine public officers, including five Customs officials, have been arrested in connection with the interception of a container carrying a large consignment of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port.

The arrests follow a major seizure by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which uncovered 299 cartons containing 146,932,000 tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride (250mg and 225mg), weighing approximately 34,847.2 kilograms.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the GRA said the seizure “was triggered by intelligence received by the Preventive Wing of the Customs Division. Container number TGHU6228715, cleared under Bill of Entry 40226151187, was detained on February 26, 2026, and transferred to a Customs-controlled area in Tema for further examination.”

9 persons arrested as Customs intercepts undeclared tramadol at Tema Port

The GRA further disclosed that the shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and had been declared as containing household items such as water kettles, kitchen blenders, and pressing irons.

“However, a joint re-examination conducted by Customs officers and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team on March 1, 2026, uncovered large quantities of concealed and undeclared Tramadol tablets hidden within the container,” the statement added.

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

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

See the full statement below:



JKB/MA

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