NAFDAC intercepts 28 containers of tramadol, others

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted 28 containers of tramadol.

A statement from the agency, signed by its Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the containers examined were loaded with tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg and other unregistered pharmaceutical products that are injurious to the health of the public.

The statement said the containers were on the agency’s watch list since November 2017 and were examined during a joint exercise coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Apapa Port, Lagos.

“Eighty-six containers were suspected to contain tramadol. The most recent of these containers are the thirty eight containers that were loaded with tramadol of high strength from India and 28 of them were successfully blocked,” the statement said.

The agency said the exercise was the outcome of communications with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service in September this year about containers suspected to be carrying tramadol and other unregistered Pharmaceuticals and products, adding that since then, the Port Inspections Directorate of NAFDAC has been tracking the containers with daily updates on the progress.

The agency said the examined containers consist of 128,922 cartons of high strength tramadol estimated to cost N6,446,100,000 and 321,146 cartons of other unregistered pharmaceutical products.

It said the worth of tramadol alone on the street is estimated to be at about N193,383,000,000 on an average cost of N1,500,000 per carton.