GRA Customs Intercept Massive Tramadol Consignment; Nine Persons Arrested

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intercepted a massive shipment of undeclared Tramadol at the Tema Port, leading to the arrest of nine public officials.

The operation, fueled by strategic intelligence, uncovered over 146 million tablets of the restricted medication concealed within a container arriving from the United Arab Emirates.

The high-profile arrests include five Customs officers and representatives from the Narcotics Control Commission, Port Security, the Energy Commission, and the Ghana Standards Authority.

All nine individuals have been placed under police inquiry bail as investigations into the breach of border security intensify.

The seizure targeted container TGHU6228715, which had been cleared under a Bill of Entry claiming to transport standard household goods.

The manifest listed items such as water kettles, kitchen blenders, pressing irons, and energy-saving bulbs.

However, a detailed re-examination conducted on March 1, 2026, by Customs and the Central Revenue Monitoring Team revealed a far more illicit cargo.

Hidden among the household appliances were 299 cartons containing 146,932,000 tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride in 250mg and 225mg dosages.

The total weight of the seized drugs reached 34,847.2 kilogrammes.

This high-dosage Tramadol far exceeds the limits permitted for standard medical use, posing a significant risk to public health.

The GRA confirmed that both the importer and the declarant have been handed over to the Police to assist with the ongoing criminal inquiry.

Currently, the massive consignment remains under strict Customs control to preserve evidence for the prosecution.

In a statement following the bust, the GRA reaffirmed its commitment to national security and the integrity of Ghana’s revenue systems.

The authority emphasized its “unwavering” stance on protecting the public from the entry of dangerous substances and ensuring that border management systems are not compromised by internal or external actors.