The Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division has successfully intercepted a substantial shipment of illicit drugs and undeclared goods at the Atlantic Terminal Services Limited (ATSL) in Takoradi.
The seizure comprised two 40-foot containers imported by Maxwell Boateng. Upon inspection, officials found that the containers held 25 million tapentadol tablets, a prescription opioid not approved for use in Ghana, in addition to thousands of undeclared ceiling fans.
The containers were initially declared as carrying ceiling fans, but routine examination by frontline customs officers revealed unusual packaging, prompting further investigation.
The Takoradi Sector Commander, Walter Blankson, ordered the containers to be placed under strict surveillance to prevent tampering, and they were subsequently fully unstuffed for comprehensive examination.
Investigations confirmed that the consignment contained 25 million tapentadol tablets, with six boxes of Tapentadol and two boxes of Timaking tablets sampled and verified as illicit substances.
Additionally, customs officers discovered significant discrepancies in the declared goods, with 2,591 ceiling fans found to be in excess of what was stated on the bills of entry across the two containers.
The entire consignment has been placed under state custody at the Takoradi Collection, and 20 packets of the seized drugs have been sent to the Customs Laboratory for further testing.
