A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Obinna Robinson, has been apprehended at the Aflao Border by a joint security team for allegedly attempting to smuggle a substantial quantity of Hepatitis B medication into the country via the land border. The arrest occurred on Tuesday, March 11, at approximately 09:00 hours, as Robinson arrived at the border.

During a routine inspection, officers discovered 1,200 ampoules of various pharmaceuticals, including Euvax B, Eupenta injection, and Hepatitis B vaccine DNA, concealed within a Sienna vehicle bearing the registration number ENU 369 ZG. The vehicle belongs to Amadel Transport Company, Nigeria, and was driven by the suspect.

The joint security team comprised personnel from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Narcotics Control Commission, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Small Arms and Light Weapons Commission, and other security agencies. The concealed pharmaceuticals were discovered during a thorough inspection of vehicles and luggage.

Following the arrest, authorities seized the medication and impounded the vehicle. An investigation into the matter is currently underway. Gordon Akurugu, the Volta Regional Head of the FDA, confirmed the details during a visit to verify the jointly taken inventory. He issued a stern warning that the FDA will maintain rigorous monitoring of the country’s inland borders and will take decisive action against individuals involved in the illicit trade of medication.

Akurugu emphasized that pharmaceutical products are restricted from entering the country through land borders and must be imported exclusively through air and sea ports, in accordance with Ghanaian law. He stated, “No drug should pass through inland borders but only through the harbor and Kotoka International Airport. It is not as if they are unaware of this regulation. The fact that they conceal the drugs shows they know they are engaging in an illicit act. In the case of this suspect, he hid the drugs in the vehicle’s body parts, including the door panel compartment and the spare tire compartment.”

Akurugu further highlighted the potential dangers of such smuggling activities, noting that the concealment methods could compromise the integrity and quality of the vaccines, which require strict temperature control between two and eight degrees Celsius. He stressed the public health implications, stating, “Such concealment compromises the integrity and quality of the vaccines, which need to be kept at temperatures between two and eight degrees Celsius. Clearly, this is a public health issue, and the health of Hepatitis B patients who were meant to receive the medication would have been adversely affected.”

Akurugu also called upon Nigerian regulatory authorities to enhance their oversight of drug importation and exportation processes to ensure adherence to the highest standards, thereby safeguarding public health on both sides of the border.