Undeclared Tramadol intercepted at Tema Port, nine arrested

A major drug interception at Tema Port has led to the arrest of nine public officers after Customs officials found a huge quantity of Tramadol hidden in a container whose paperwork listed only household goods.

Authorities say the officers — including five Customs personnel and representatives from the Narcotics Control Commission, Port Security, the Energy Commission, and the Ghana Standards Authority — have since been granted police enquiry bail while investigations continue.

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) said the container was carrying 299 cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride, totalling 146,932,000 tablets in 250mg and 225mg strengths. The consignment is estimated to weigh about 34.8 tonnes, officials said, and none of it was declared in the import documents.

Customs officials said the operation began after intelligence picked up by the Preventive unit flagged the shipment for attention. The container — TGHU6228715 — was stopped on 26 February 2026, detached from processing, and moved into a controlled Customs zone in Tema for closer scrutiny.

Although the shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and was declared as items such as kettles, blenders, pressing irons, bulbs and polypropylene material, a joint inspection on 1 March 2026 reportedly found Tramadol concealed among the listed goods.

The importer and the declarant have been handed over to police to assist with the inquiry. Customs is keeping the seized consignment under its control, as investigators work to establish how the shipment passed through initial clearance processes.

The GRA says the case underlines its stance on border enforcement, public safety and the protection of state revenue.