An investigation by international news agency AFP has revealed that millions of dollars’ worth of powerful opioid drugs are being exported from India to West African countries, worsening an addiction crisis already linked to rising deaths and substance abuse in the region.
The report, published Thursday, found that Indian pharmaceutical companies continue to ship high-strength tapentadol tablets to countries in West Africa despite an earlier promise by Indian authorities to clamp down on illegal opioid exports.
According to AFP, investigators traced batches of the drugs seized in at least four West African countries using manufacturers’ licence numbers found on the tablets and export records.
Mental health officials in countries affected by the crisis say the drugs are contributing to the growing use of kush, a dangerous street substance described as highly addictive and increasingly common in places such as Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Speaking on the development, Sierra Leone’s Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Ansu Konneh, described the growing use of tapentadol-laced kush as deeply concerning.
“The tapentadol twist on kush is very alarming,” Konneh said, noting that bodies were being recovered from “streets, markets and slums on a daily basis.”
He disclosed that more than 400 bodies were collected in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, within three months, adding that many victims were believed to be linked to drug abuse.
Konneh further stated that about 90 per cent of individuals admitted to official rehabilitation centres in the country had reportedly consumed kush mixed with tapentadol or other strong opioids.
In response to concerns over opioid abuse, Indian authorities announced a “zero-tolerance” campaign against illegal drug exports in February 2025. The crackdown followed reports exposing the harmful effects of opioid mixtures exported to some African countries.
India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), had earlier suspended export approvals for certain combinations of tapentadol not approved by importing countries.
However, researchers cited in the AFP report argued that the larger problem lies in the continued export of pure tapentadol tablets, which remain widely available across parts of West Africa.
Experts said the drug, which is stronger than tramadol, is increasingly being used by people engaged in physically demanding labour as a stimulant, even though it carries a high risk of dependence.
Researchers also warned that tapentadol is gradually replacing or complementing tramadol in several West African countries, often being sold under misleading labels.
Officials at India’s drug regulatory agency reportedly said they had no records of authorising exports of some high-dose tapentadol consignments identified in the investigation but did not respond to additional questions from AFP.
