News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/tamale-emerges-as-epicenter-of-fake-tramadol-crisis-bbc-expose-reveals/Tamale, Ghana’s northern regional capital, has become the epicenter of a devastating opioid crisis fueled by illicit, unlicensed drugs smuggled from India, a BBC investigation has uncovered.
The probe reveals how counterfeit pills labeled as “Tafrodol,” produced by Mumbai-based Aveo Pharmaceuticals, are flooding Ghanaian markets, ensnaring thousands in addiction and despair.The BBC’s undercover team documented harrowing scenes in Tamale’s impoverished neighborhoods, where young men openly admitted the drugs had “wasted their lives.” Alhassan Maham, a local leader, has mobilized a 100-member volunteer task force to combat the crisis.
“These pills burn through sanity like kerosene on fire,” Maham said, describing the grip of addiction on his community. During a raid filmed by the BBC, the task force intercepted a dealer carrying green pills stamped with Aveo’s logo—a direct link to the Indian manufacturer.The drugs, a lethal cocktail of tapentadol (a potent opioid) and carisoprodol (a muscle relaxant banned in Europe), are unlicensed globally yet widely available in Ghana.
Medical experts warn the combination heightens addiction risks and overdose potential, with dealers marketing them as cheap, quick fixes for pain and stress.Nash Idi, a prominent Northern Region media figure, lamented the crisis.