Ekok: Cameroon Customs steps up border crackdown ⁰

Cameroon’s customs authorities carried out a series of high-impact operations over a 48-hour period in the Southwest region. This highlights both the scale of cross-border trafficking and a stepped-up enforcement effort along the Nigerian border.

The operations took place in Ekok, a key transit point between Cameroon and Nigeria, where smuggling networks have long taken advantage of porous borders.

The first seizure, recorded on April 17, 2026, involved 1,500 liters of vegetable oil illegally brought into the country without customs declaration. Authorities said the shipment was intended for local markets, a practice that not only deprives the state of tax revenue but also undercuts compliant businesses.

Less than a day later, on April 18, the commercial brigade intercepted a shipment of 275,000 non-biodegradable plastic packages, weighing about 800 kilograms. Cameroon has introduced restrictions on such plastics for environmental reasons, but their continued presence in illicit channels points to gaps in enforcement and the persistence of smuggling networks.

The third operation, carried out overnight between April 18 and 19 by a mobile brigade, marked a more sensitive development. At a checkpoint, officers stopped a vehicle arriving from Nigeria and discovered 20,100 tablets of Tramadol, a pharmaceutical product often diverted for non-medical use due to its addictive properties.

The driver admitted the cargo was bound for the city of Kumba, also in the Southwest region.

Taken together, the seizures reflect the range of illicit flows moving through the Ekok corridor, from commercial fraud to banned goods and controlled substances. The area remains a strategic gateway for cross-border trade, both legal and illegal.

In response, customs authorities say they are intensifying operations through more frequent inspections, stronger field presence, and better coordination across units, aiming to curb illicit trade and protect public revenue, the environment, and public health.

Source: Business in Cameroon