BBC Eye’s investigative report uncovers a shocking illegal operation by Mumbai-based Aveo Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures and exports unlicensed, highly addictive opioids to West Africa. These dangerous pills, containing tapentadol (a powerful opioid) and carisoprodol (a banned muscle relaxant), are fueling a major public health crisis in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire.
Unmasking Aveo’s Deadly Trade
Aveo Pharmaceuticals produces opioid-laced pills disguised under various brand names, including Tafrodol, TimaKing, and Super Royal-225. West African street vendors widely sell these pills as legitimate medicines, despite their lethal mix of substances. Tapentadol induces deep sedation, while carisoprodol enhances the effect, making the pills highly addictive. Overdoses can cause respiratory failure and death.
Despite these dangers, local markets openly sell Aveo’s products, and teenagers dissolve them in alcoholic drinks for a stronger high, as the BBC investigation found.
Undercover Operation: Inside the Factory of Misery
To expose the operation, the BBC sent an undercover operative to Aveo’s factory in India, posing as an African businessman interested in distributing the opioids in Nigeria. Using a hidden camera, the investigator recorded Vinod Sharma, a director at Aveo, openly discussing the addictive nature of the pills and acknowledging their harmful effects. Shockingly, when the operative mentioned selling the pills to Nigerian teenagers, Sharma responded without hesitation: “OK.”
In the footage, Sharma admits, “This is very harmful for health… Nowadays, this is business.” The disturbing exchange highlights the blatant disregard for human life in pursuit of profits.
Devastation on West African Streets
The consequences of this illegal trade are dire. In Tamale, Ghana, more young people are becoming addicted to opioids, prompting local leader Alhassan Maham to form a citizen task force to raid drug dealers. The BBC team witnessed firsthand how the crisis has left many addicts in a zombie-like stupor, their lives wrecked by these pills.
During a raid, the task force seized a bag of green pills labeled Tafrodol, stamped with Aveo Pharmaceuticals’ branding. Similar drugs have been confiscated in Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire, reinforcing the scale of the crisis.
Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) estimates that opioid addiction affects around four million Nigerians and nearly every community. NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa warned that opioids are “devastating our youths, our families.”
The Shift from Tramadol to Tapentadol
Previously, tramadol was the most abused opioid in West Africa. However, after India and Nigeria cracked down on tramadol imports in 2018, drug traffickers quickly found a loophole—switching to tapentadol mixed with carisoprodol. This new and more dangerous cocktail continues to flood West African markets.
Aveo Pharmaceuticals, along with its sister company Westfin International, has shipped millions of these tablets to Ghana and beyond, despite Indian laws prohibiting the export of unlicensed drugs to countries where they are illegal.
Global Calls for Action
India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has responded to the revelations, stating that it is committed to strict enforcement of export regulations and is working with West African nations to stop illegal drug shipments. However, with cartons of illicit pills stacked high in Aveo’s warehouses, it is evident that regulatory loopholes are still being exploited.
Medical experts warn that the tapentadol-carisoprodol combination is more dangerous than tramadol, leading to severe withdrawal symptoms and life-threatening overdoses. Dr. Lekhansh Shukla from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in India emphasized: “This is not a rational combination. It is not licensed anywhere.”
Burning the Evidence, But Not the Source
Despite local efforts to curb the crisis, the supply chain remains intact. In Tamale, Ghana, the task force burned hundreds of seized pills in public view—a symbolic gesture of resistance. But as the flames consumed the drugs, Aveo Pharmaceuticals continued its operations, pushing millions more pills into West Africa’s black market.
Interesting Read
For Aveo, it is a profitable business. For West Africa, it is an unfolding tragedy.
Will Authorities Finally Act?
With mounting evidence, the question remains: Will Indian and West African authorities take decisive action against Aveo Pharmaceuticals and other rogue drug manufacturers?
