FDA destroys seized opioid shipment after Tema Port interception
In a statement, the FDA said the shipment contained opioid-based products with dosages above levels permitted under Ghanaian law, and cited breaches of regulatory and customs provisions, including L.I. 168 of 2018 and sections of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891).
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says it has destroyed a large consignment of opioid medicines intercepted at the Tema Port in December, after a High Court authorised their disposal.
The regulator said it applied to the court to dispose of the drugs to prevent any risk of diversion into the market, and the application was granted.
In a statement, the FDA said the shipment contained opioid-based products with dosages above levels permitted under Ghanaian law, and cited breaches of regulatory and customs provisions, including L.I. 168 of 2018 and sections of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891).
The authority said the consignment included opioid pharmaceuticals mixed with other substances, raising concerns about attempts to use Ghana’s ports as a transit point for illicit drug trafficking.
Investigators also flagged what the FDA described as multiple documentation and compliance breaches, pointing to weaknesses in cargo monitoring and failures to follow established procedures.
The FDA said the seizure was carried out through a joint operation involving the Authority, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
