Indian firms ship powerful opioids to West Africa, fueling overdoses despite crackdowns AFP finds

Tapentadol pills reportedly mixed into kush

An AFP investigation says Indian pharma firms are exporting millions of dollars’ worth of tapentadol, a high-strength opioid, to West Africa. Researchers claim the pills are being mixed into kush, an already deadly “zombie drug,” and that this supply has intensified addiction and overdose deaths across the region even as crackdowns continue.