Painkiller Pipeline: 300 Million Tapentadol Pills Sent from India to West Africa

A Bellingcat investigation reveals that Indian companies have shipped over 320 million tapentadol pills to West Africa between 2023 and 2025, with most consignments destined for Sierra Leone and Ghana where the opioid painkiller remains unapproved by regulators. The shipments, worth approximately $130 million, include dosages of 200mg or stronger that are not even approved in India itself, contributing to escalating opioid abuse epidemics in the region.