A BBC Eye investigation has exposed Aveo Pharmaceuticals, a Mumbai-based firm, for illegally manufacturing and exporting unlicensed, highly addictive opioids to countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Aveo Pharmaceuticals has been implicated in producing pills containing a dangerous mix of tapentadol, a potent opioid, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant banned in Europe due to its addictive nature.

This combination is not licensed for use anywhere globally and poses severe health risks, including breathing difficulties, seizures, and death from overdose.

Despite this, these drugs have flooded West African streets, sold cheaply under brand names like Tafrodol, fueling a public health crisis.

The investigation revealed that Aveo’s director, Vinod Sharma, admitted to an undercover BBC team that the drugs were “very harmful” but dismissed concerns, stating, “this is business.”

Publicly available export data show Aveo, along with a sister company, Westfin International, shipped millions of these tablets to West Africa.

Nigeria, with its 225 million population, is the largest market, where an estimated four million people abuse opioids, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The Chairman of Nigeria’s Drug and Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa, described the situation as “devastating” to youth and communities.

In Ghana, local efforts, like a task force in Tamale led by Alhassan Maham, have seized Aveo-branded drugs, highlighting the crisis’s grassroots impact.

This scandal tarnishes India’s $28 billion pharmaceutical industry, known for quality generics and vaccines. Indian law prohibits exporting unlicensed drugs unless they meet the importing country’s standards, yet Aveo’s actions violate both Indian and international regulations.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has pledged swift action against such malpractice, but the crisis persists, raising questions about enforcement and global accountability.

Gregory Afoko, a key suspect in the 2015 murder of Adams Mahama, the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was granted bail by the High Court in Accra.

The bail was set at GH₵500,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified with a landed property.

This marks a significant development in a case that has spanned nearly a decade, with Afoko having been in detention since his arrest in 2015.

Afoko is accused of conspiring with Asabke Alangdi to carry out a brutal acid attack that led to Mahama’s death outside his home in Bolgatanga on May 20, 2015.

The prosecution alleges that the attack stemmed from internal NPP tensions, following a disrupted party meeting in Bolgatanga earlier that month.

Mahama reportedly died from severe acid burns while being airlifted to Accra for treatment, identifying Afoko and Alangdi as his attackers before his death.

The bail conditions require Afoko to report to the police every two weeks, and the court registrar must verify the sureties’ documents.

This decision came after Afoko’s third bail application, filed on February 17, 2025, which was not opposed by the prosecution.

While Alangdi has been convicted and sentenced to death for conspiracy, Afoko faces a retrial after a previous hung jury verdict in 2023. The case continues to unfold as the state pursues its prosecution.

Ghana’s Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations Minister, Sam George, has ordered the National Communications Authority (NCA) to shut down seven radio stations.

Six of these stations were operating without valid frequency authorizations, and one was closed on security grounds.

This action was taken to ensure compliance with frequency authorization laws and to maintain national security.

The minister has emphasized the importance of all broadcasters adhering to licensing regulations to avoid future enforcement actions.

“Today, in two separate cases, I have directed the National Communications Authority to suspend and enforce a prohibition of broadcast on seven (7) radio stations in total.

In one instance, on national security grounds and in six other cases on the grounds of broadcasting without a valid frequency authorisation based on the recently requested frequency audit. Enforcement of the directive is immediate. Further action would be taken in the coming days.

Once again, I reiterate my commitment to sanitising our airwaves and ensuring strict adherence with the law concerning frequency authorisations. I urge all media houses to ensure they are complying with ALL the terms of their frequency authorisations.

In service to God and Country.”