India has banned two highly addictive opioids, tapentadol and carisoprodol, following a BBC investigation that revealed their role in fueling a public health crisis in West Africa. The ban, issued by India’s Drugs Controller General, Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, took immediate effect on Friday.
In a letter seen by the BBC, Dr. Raghuvanshi cited concerns over the drugs’ potential for abuse and their harmful effects on populations. The decision followed an investigation by BBC Eye, which exposed Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Aveo illegally exporting a combination of tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant banned in Europe, to countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
India’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raided Aveo’s factory in Mumbai, seizing its entire stock and halting production. The agency stated that further legal action would be taken against the company and pledged to intensify inspections to prevent future illegal exports.
Public export data revealed that Aveo, along with its sister company Westfin International, had shipped millions of these tablets to West African markets, where they are sold cheaply and widely abused. Nigeria, with a population of 225 million, is the largest consumer of these opioids, with an estimated four million citizens misusing some form of opioid, according to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics.
The BBC’s undercover operation captured Aveo director Vinod Sharma discussing the drugs’ effects and their popularity among young people in Nigeria. Despite acknowledging their harmful nature, Sharma referred to the opioid trade as “business.”
India’s FDA emphasized its commitment to safeguarding public health and protecting the nation’s reputation, warning that anyone involved in illegal drug activities would face strict action.
