The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it has intercepted an ambulance loaded with 10 cartons of 225mg Tramadol drugs at the Apapa Port, Lagos.
The ambulance driver and a dockworker were arrested with the vehicle while trying to smuggle the item.
The Tramadol tablets valued at N2.8 million were concealed inside the ambulance, which belongs to Medbury Medical Services.
The two suspects, Michael Ajibade (driver) and Olatunde Emmanuel (dockworker), were said to have been arrested by Customs officers at 11pm last Friday on their way out of the port in the siren-blaring ambulance.
Apapa Customs Area Controller Muhammed Abba-Kura, who briefed reporters yesterday, said the ambulance was usually stationed at the port complex for medical emergencies, adding that it belonged to Medbury Medical Services, an industrial medical services provider.
He said the officers were on routine surveillance when they made the arrest.
“Investigation shows that the Tramadol drugs were pilfered from an undeclared container. Physical examination reveals that 211 cartons of the drugs were missing from the container. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the stolen drugs stands at N59.4 million,” Abba-Kura said.
He said findings further revealed that the container, allegedly shipped from India by Pacific International Limited (PIL) as general merchandise, was neither declared nor positioned for examination, adding that on examination, it was found that its original seal had been broken.
Disclosing that preliminary investigations had begun, Abba-Kura said the command is working hard to ascertain the level of involvement of others that may be involved in the act, “in order to get to the root of this unfortunate incident, before charging them to court.”
The ambulance driver denied knowledge of the items.
He said his yet-to-be-identified principal(s) promised him N2,000 to take the drugs across the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) gate.
The dockworker, who escorted the ambulance, said he was promised N50,000.
