Painkiller Pipeline: 300 Million Tapentadol Pills Sent from India to West Africa
This article is the result of a collaboration with Indian media outlet Newslaundry. You can find Newslaundry’s editorially independent coverage here.
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, ...
**Steelman:** The investigation presents a compelling case that India’s pharmaceutical industry is exploiting regulatory gaps to flood West Africa with unapproved opioids, exacerbating a public health crisis. The data is thorough, cross-referenced with trade records, and supported by statements from African authorities. The narrative highlights systemic failures—weak oversight in India, corrupt or under-resourced enforcement in West Africa, and the adaptability of drug traffickers in response to...