A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Obinna Robinson, has been arrested by a joint security team at the Aflao Border for allegedly smuggling Hepatitis B medication into Ghana.
The suspect was apprehended on Tuesday, March 11, at about 9:00 a.m. while driving a Sienna vehicle with registration number ENU 369 ZG, belonging to Amadel Transport Company, Nigeria. During a routine inspection, security officers discovered 1,200 ampoules of Euvax B, Eupenta injection, and Hepatitis B vaccine rDNA concealed within the vehicle’s body parts, including the door card compartment and the spare tyre compartment.
The operation involved personnel from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Narcotics Control Commission, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Small Arms and Light Weapons Commission, and other security agencies.
The smuggled pharmaceuticals were confiscated, and the vehicle was impounded pending further investigations.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, Volta Regional Head of the FDA, Gordon Akurugu, reiterated that drugs are not permitted to pass through land borders but must enter the country via air or sea.
“No drug should pass through inland borders but only through the harbour and the Kotoka International Airport. The fact that they conceal the drugs tells you they know they are engaging in an illicit act,” he stated.
He warned that such concealment compromises the integrity and quality of vaccines, which require storage at temperatures between two to eight degrees Celsius. He emphasized that the smuggling of pharmaceuticals poses a serious public health risk.
Mr. Akurugu urged Nigerian regulatory authorities to strengthen measures to prevent illicit drug trafficking and uphold public health standards.
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