Investigators Trace Opioid Shipments to Indian Firms
An investigation has revealed that Indian pharmaceutical companies continue to export large quantities of powerful opioids to West Africa despite earlier promises to tighten regulations on illegal drug distribution.
The report linked several high-strength tapentadol tablets seized in multiple West African countries to Indian manufacturers through export records and licence numbers.
Authorities and health experts warned that the drugs are worsening addiction problems across the region and contributing to a growing public health crisis.
Experts Raise Alarm Over Kush Mixtures
Researchers disclosed that traffickers now mix tapentadol with kush, a highly addictive street drug that has triggered emergencies in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The Director of Mental Health at Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Ansu Konneh, described the development as deeply troubling.
According to him, authorities recover bodies daily from streets, markets, and slum communities due to drug abuse linked to kush and opioids.
He added that more than 400 bodies were collected in Freetown within three months.
Konneh also revealed that about 90 per cent of patients admitted to rehabilitation centres had consumed kush mixed with tapentadol or other opioids.
India Tightened Regulations After Earlier Exposé
In February 2025, Indian authorities announced stricter measures against illegal drug exports after reports exposed the impact of opioid shipments in Ghana.
The country’s drug regulator later withdrew export approvals for combinations of tapentadol and carisoprodol that lacked approval from importing nations.
However, researchers stated that exports of pure tapentadol tablets continued despite the crackdown.
Shipment records reviewed during the investigation showed that millions of dollars worth of the drugs still enter West African markets every month.
Addiction Crisis Deepens Across Region
Health experts said many users consume tapentadol to cope with physically demanding jobs, unaware of its addictive effects.
Researchers also explained that tapentadol has increasingly replaced tramadol in several West African countries because of its stronger potency.
According to experts, the drug is often sold illegally as tramadol even though it is significantly more powerful.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation reportedly stated that it had no record of approving some shipments involving 225mg and 250mg tapentadol tablets.
