This text is the results of a collaboration with Indian media outlet Newslaundry. You’ll find Newslaundry’s editorially impartial protection right here.
Indian corporations have shipped greater than 320 million artificial opioid capsules to West Africa – the place they haven’t been accepted by regulators – over the previous three years, a Bellingcat investigation has discovered.
Export data from commerce knowledge supplier 52wmb present that greater than 1,400 consignments of tapentadol value nearly USD $130 million have been despatched from India to West Africa between January 2023 and December 2025.
Tapentadol, a painkiller two to 3 instances stronger than tramadol, has not been accepted to be used in most West African nations, the place some nations are grappling with an escalating opioid abuse epidemic.
Nevertheless, this investigation exhibits that dozens of Indian suppliers have flooded the area with tapentadol over the previous three years. The place dosages have been listed, greater than half the capsules have been in highly effective strengths of 200mg or extra – dosages that aren’t even accepted in India.
The exports, cross-checked in opposition to data supplied by commerce knowledge aggregator ImportGenius, present most tapentadol capsules despatched between 2023 and 2025 had the coastal nations of Sierra Leone and Ghana listed as their declared locations.
The 2 West African nations have been collectively marked because the vacation spot for greater than 80 per cent of the whole worth of tapentadol despatched to the area.
Specialists have documented how drug traffickers adapt rapidly to worldwide rules and legislation enforcement efforts. In 2018, India tightened export controls across the opioid tramadol, one of the vital trafficked artificial medicine to West Africa.
In 2021, the Worldwide Narcotics Management Board (INCB) mentioned large-scale tapentadol trafficking had been recognized, notably in consignments destined for Africa. It had beforehand famous that India’s strengthened tramadol controls may lead traffickers to substitute the drug with different potent artificial opioids.
A BBC investigation final 12 months revealed that Indian firm Aveo Prescription drugs was illegally exporting tablets containing a mixture of tapentadol and the muscle relaxant carisoprodol to West Africa. This led India’s drug regulator, the Central Medicine Normal Management Organisation (CDSCO), to ban the manufacture and export of all mixtures of the 2 medicine.
Bellingcat’s investigation, in collaboration with Indian publishing companion Newslaundry, reveals that the availability of tapentadol capsules from India to West Africa has surged in recent times.
Export knowledge from 52wmb exhibits the worth of tapentadol despatched to the area has risen from about USD $27 million within the three 12 months interval from 2020 to 2022, to nearly USD $130 million from 2023 to 2025.
Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s president, in 2024 declared a nationwide emergency over rampant drug abuse and branded kush – a poisonous mix of psychoactive substances together with hashish and artificial opioids – a “dying lure”.
Authorities in Sierra Leone have intercepted unlawful tapentadol, together with final July when the Nationwide Income Authority (NRA) mentioned it thwarted a smuggling operation close to its north-west border with Guinea.
The NRA and different businesses together with the Transnational Organised Crime Unit, Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company, and the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone didn’t reply to Bellingcat’s requests for remark.
Ghana’s Narcotics Management Fee (NACOC) mentioned the unlawful importation of tapentadol was first recorded in 2022 after worldwide efforts to curb the tramadol disaster resulted in prison networks shifting manufacturing to different pharmaceutical opioids together with tapentadol, tafrodol and carisoprodol.
The company has recorded a “regular rise” in tapentadol trafficking over the previous three years, with authorities seizing greater than 3.7 million tablets (250mg power). Most have been traced again to India, it mentioned.
“NACOC investigations verify that the majority of tapentadol is trafficked into Ghana by means of seaports and by air, through categorical courier providers,” a spokesperson mentioned. “On the ports, the drug is hid in containerized cargo falsely declared as prescribed drugs, electrical supplies or family items. Categorical courier providers are used for smaller, high-value portions, typically packed alongside professional consignments to keep away from detection.”
NACOC mentioned Ghana had emerged as each a vacation spot and transit hub for tapentadol, with nearly all of intercepted consignments sure for Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. When offered domestically, it mentioned the road drug was promoted as a tramadol substitute.
Ghana’s Meals and Medicine Authority (FDA) mentioned final 12 months that the abuse of pharmaceutical opioids corresponding to tapentadol — generally identified on the road as “Crimson” — was on the rise.
The FDA instructed Bellingcat it had “by no means issued any allow” for the manufacture or importation of tapentadol, in any power, to any importer or to any nation. It mentioned any tapentadol shipments to Ghana have been for “trans-shipment to neighbouring nation”.
Import knowledge for Ghana exhibits that no tapentadol entered the nation between 2023 and 2025, which helps NACOC’s place that the medicine are being hid and falsely declared. Import knowledge for Sierra Leone was not accessible by means of 52wmb.
India’s drug and pharmaceutical exports have grown to greater than $30 billion a 12 months, in keeping with the Prescription drugs Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), a division of the ministry of commerce and trade.
Whereas tapentadol is on the market in India on prescription in strengths of as much as 100mg (quick launch) and 200mg (prolonged launch), authorities are conscious of its danger of misuse. Final 12 months, the Indian drug regulator’s Technical Advisory Board mentioned the Division of Income could also be requested to schedule the painkiller below the Narcotic Medicine and Psychotropic Substances Act, which might tighten guidelines round its export.
To export pharmaceutical merchandise at strengths that aren’t accepted in India, exporters are required to acquire an export “no objection certificates” (NOC) from the CDSCO, for which they need to submit proof of the drug’s approval within the importing nation. Publicly accessible data exhibits tapentadol is just not accepted to be used in any of the West African nations recognized as a part of this investigation.
The CDSCO didn’t reply to questions from Bellingcat or our publishing companion, Newslaundry.
In response to “Proper to Data” requests submitted by Newslaundry, the CDSCO mentioned solely two corporations had been granted authorisation to fabricate tapentadol for export between 2019 and 2024. Nevertheless, the commerce knowledge analysed by Bellingcat didn’t listing both firm as an exporter of tapentadol to West Africa.
The CDSCO additionally mentioned it had issued export NOCs for tapentadol to 51 corporations since 2024, however that these weren’t for export to West African nations.
In the meantime, Bellingcat’s evaluation of commerce knowledge exhibits that greater than 60 Indian suppliers have exported tapentadol to West Africa since 2023. The exporters are largely pharmaceutical corporations but additionally embody smaller operations, corresponding to one firm owned by a Nigerian man who despatched greater than US $4 million of tapentadol to Niger and Ghana.
Dinesh Thakur, co-author of the e-book Reality Tablet, instructed Newslaundry there have been gaps in India’s drug regulatory framework that made it doable for doubtlessly unsafe medicines to be manufactured and exported with out correct oversight.
“There is no such thing as a regulatory framework which checks a real importer and counterfeit importer between nations,” mentioned Thakur, a former pharmaceutical govt who now works as a public well being activist.
Mohammed Adinoyi Usman, a marketing consultant anaesthetist at Rasheed Shekoni Federal College Educating Hospital in Nigeria, mentioned tackling Africa’s opioid disaster was difficult by an absence of sources throughout the area, weak authorities responses, and inaction by legislation enforcement businesses.
He mentioned extra collaboration and intelligence sharing was wanted, particularly throughout West African nations, to fight the issue. “We see so many opioids coming into our area due to a variety of things together with under-funded establishments like customs and drug businesses, weak border controls and corruption,” he mentioned.
“Africa is completely different. Even southern Africa is completely different from western Africa – every area has its peculiarities. In Nigeria, we don’t have well-functioning establishments to assist management it. However our authorities is attempting.”
Dr Usman mentioned entry to prescription opioids in Africa was insufficient, and pointed to analysis displaying the disparity in distribution of authorized opioids to low-income nations in comparison with high-income nations that devour the majority of the world’s ache reduction remedy. He mentioned opioid abuse was linked to crime and unfavorable well being outcomes.
“Sadly, entry to prescription opioids may be very restricted in Africa,” Dr Usman mentioned, “however the prices of unlawful use are excessive.”
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