How India's pharmaceutical pipeline is fueling West Africa's opioid crisis

France24 · 🇫🇷 public France · May 06, 2026 · 1352 words · By Diya GUPTA

International Trade and Smuggling Public Health Crisis Pharmaceutical Regulation

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What to know about International Trade and Smuggling

How India's pharmaceutical pipeline is fueling West Africa's opioid crisis Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and several more countries in West Africa are in the midst of an overlooked opioid crisis that's crippling the population and devastating families.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The drugs that are fueling this crisis aren't made in makeshift labs, but imported by the millions from India's pharmaceutical industry.

Common ground

For more than a decade, a sizable chunk of West Africa – including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria and Ivory coast – has been gripped by an opioid-abuse epidemic that has devastated families, killed thousands and strained an already overburdened…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this International Trade and Smuggling story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that More than 80 percent of the total value of the potent drug was exported to Sierra Leone or Ghana?
How does this story connect International Trade and Smuggling with Public Health Crisis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260506-how-india-pharmaceutical-pipeline-is…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

help

Claim 1: “More than 80 percent of the total value of the potent drug was exported to Sierra Leone or Ghana.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the percentage of tapentadol value exported specifically to Sierra Leone or Ghana.

info

Claim 2: “Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority also said last year that the abuse of the opioid tapentadol, known on the street as “Red”, was on the rise.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source from Pulse Ghana mentions the rising trend of Tapentadol (known as 'Red') among youth in Ghana, but there is no direct confirmation of a specific 'Food and Drugs Authority' report from last year in the provided evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Tapentadol is contraindicated in people with epilepsy or who are otherwise prone to seizures. It raises intracranial pressure so should not be used in people with head injuries, brain tumors, or other…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapentadol

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Illicit drugs continue to flood Ghana’s open market despite ongoing enforcement efforts. The rising trend of drug abuse, such as the use of Tapentadol, known as ‘Red’ among the youth has become a grow…
https://www.pulse.com.gh/articles/news/customs-seize-illegal…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dangers of Tapentadol Abuse. Tapentadol vs. Tramadol. Tapentadol Rehab Near Me. Tapentadol Addiction Statistics.Higher doses significantly increase the risk of addiction and life-threatening complicat…
https://www.thehopehouse.com/tapentadol-addiction/

help

Claim 3: “The drugs were in high-strength 200mg doses or more – an amount that isn’t even approved in India.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the specific dosage (200mg) or its approval status in India.

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Claim 4: “Broadly, about 30% of West Africa’s population has been found to use tramadol and codeine”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly state that about 30% (or more than 30%) of West Africa's population has been found to use tramadol and codeine.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Codeine-only products can be obtained with a prescription as a time-release tablet. Codeine is also marketed in cough syrups with zero to a half-dozen other active ingredients, and a linctus (e.g., Pa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codeine

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Broadly, about 30% of West Africa’s population has been found to use tramadol and codeine, making these prescription opioids among the most widely abused substances in the region.
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260506-how-india-pharma…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Broadly, more than 30% of West African population specially women and children has been found to use tramadol and codeine, making these prescription opioids among the most widely abused substances in …
https://gtvnewshd.com/world/2026/05/07/indian-pharmaceutical…

info

Claim 5: “The value of tapentadol sent to the region has risen from about $27 million between 2020 to 2022 to almost $130 million from 2023 to 2025.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figures ($27 million 2020-2022 to $130 million 2023-2025) are mentioned in one specific report, but not corroborated by a second independent source.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — #VALUE is Excel's way of saying, "There's something wrong with the way your formula is typed. Or, there's something wrong with the cells you are referencing." The error is very general, and it can be …
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-correct-a-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 24, 2026 · When prices go down, the purchasing power of the dollar goes up. Internationally, the value of the dollar is measured against the strength of other currencies, also known as the exchang…
https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/value-of-the-us-dol…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On this page, U.S. inflation rates since 2000 are charted and detailed in a table. Looking for inflation rates that date back to over a century? This page is for you. Core inflation is the change in p…
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

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Claim 6: “Indian companies shipped more than 320 million tapentadol pills to West Africa.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (Bellingcat and another report) explicitly state that Indian companies shipped more than 320 million tapentadol pills to West Africa.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Indian companies have shipped more than 320 million synthetic opioid pills to West Africa – where they have not been approved by regulators – over the past three years, a Bellingcat investigation has …
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/04/17/painkiller-pipeli…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Over 60 Indian pharmaceutical suppliers have exported synthetic opioid pills worth almost Rs 1,220 crore – or US $130 million – to West African nations.
https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/04/17/opioids-without-overs…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Indian companies shipped more than 320 million tapentadol pills to West Africa. The value of tapentadol sent to the region has risen from about $27 million between 2020 to 2022 to almost $130 million …
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260506-how-india-pharma…

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Claim 7: “A BBC investigation released in February last year took a deep look into one Indian company, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in Mumbai, which manufactured a drug they called "Tafrodol" – a particularly addictive and deadly combination of tapentadol, an opioid painkiller, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a BBC investigation into Aveo Pharmaceuticals in Mumbai and the manufacture of 'Tafrodol', a combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aveo Pharma was exposed for manufacturing and exporting unlicensed, addictive drugs like Tafrodol, causing a public health crisis in West Africa. The BBC investigation revealed these drugs, containing…
https://deemagclinic.com/2025/02/23/tafrodol/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in Mumbai, makes a range of pills that go under different brand names and are packaged to look like legitimate medicines.The BBC World Service found packets of them, brande…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/bbc-eye-indias-opioid…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The ministry added that Aveo Pharmaceuticals has been issued a Stop Activity Order, halting all operations at the company's premises after a comprehensive audit. pharma medicine drugs.
https://www.business-standard.com/health/cdsco-withdraws-exp…

schedule

Claim 8: “India ranks third globally by production volume (pills and units) for generics, supplying roughly 20% of global generics and over 60% of vaccines by volume.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “only two firms were granted approval to manufacture tapentadol for export but neither was in the 60 exporters released.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) categorically stated that they had not issued any permits for the import of tapentadol in any strength to any country in the neighbouring region.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 11: “in 2024 leaders of both Sierra Leone and Liberia, in an unprecedented decision, declared national emergencies over drug use.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm that by April 2024, the presidents of Sierra Leone and Liberia declared national emergencies over drug use (specifically mentioning kush).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A national emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions not normally permitted. The 1976 National Emergencies Act implemented various legal requirements regarding eme…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_emergencies_i…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — By April 2024, the health impacts of kush, which contains nitazenes (opioids that can be even more powerful than fentanyl) and synthetic cannabinoids, were so acute that the presidents of Sierra Leone…
https://www.clingendael.org/publication/kush-sierra-leone-we…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — By April 2024, the health impacts of kush, which contains nitazenes (opioids that can be even more powerful than fentanyl) and synthetic cannabinoids, were so acute that the presidents of Sierra Leone…
https://globalinitiative.net/announcements/new-report-on-kus…

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Claim 12: “India has exported more than 1,400 consignments of tapentadol, worth almost USD $130 million, to several countries in the region, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Senegal and Nigeria.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources confirm the export of more than 1,400 consignments of tapentadol worth approximately $130 million to West African countries including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Senegal, and Nigeria.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — India has exported more than 1,400 consignments of tapentadol, worth almost USD $130 million, to several countries in the region, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Senegal and Nigeria.
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260506-how-india-pharma…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Between January 2023 and December 2025, export records analyzed from trade data provider 52wmb indicate that more than 1,400 consignments of tapentadol were shipped from India to West Africa, valued a…
https://slguardian.org/how-indias-opioid-exports-are-fueling…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Over 60 Indian pharmaceutical suppliers have exported synthetic opioid pills worth almost Rs 1,220 crore – or US $130 million – to West African nations. Most of the destination countries had not appro…
https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/04/17/opioids-without-overs…

schedule

Claim 13: “Out of those, three companies – Syncom Formulations, Puizer Pharmaceuticals and Twin Impex – have dominated the market.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “More than 60 Indian suppliers have made a tidy profit exporting tapentadol to West Africa since 2023.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 15: “It [Tafrodol] isn’t legal anywhere in the world, including India or Ghana”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source (deemag and chest clinic) mentions that Tafrodol is not licensed globally, but this is not corroborated by other authoritative sources in the provided evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Google Maps for mobile devices was first released in 2006; the latest versions feature GPS turn-by-turn navigation along with dedicated parking assistance features. By 2013, it was found to be the wor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps

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web search NEUTRAL — Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
https://www.google.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
https://maps.google.com/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.