Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has raised the alarm over the widespread importation of a dangerously addictive and illegal opioid cocktail into the country, exposing systemic regulatory failures and potential complicity by local authorities.
Bright Simons’ revelations follow the recent BBC Africa Eye documentary that uncovered how Indian pharmaceutical companies, particularly Aveo Pharma, have been flooding Ghana and Nigeria with unapproved opioid formulations, including Timaking, Tafrodol, and Super Royal-225.
The expose detailed how these drugs, a mix of tapentadol and carisoprodol, are illegal worldwide yet are being openly imported into Ghana without registration by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
According to Bright, Vinod Sharma, owner of Aveo Pharma, is at the heart of this illicit trade, adding that in the BBC documentary, Sharma admitted that his products are “poisonous,” but due to high demand, they continue to be manufactured and exported.
“He further reveals that Nigeria has tightened its borders and Ghana is now the easiest channel to get his cute poisons into West Africa (food for thought for all you Ghanaians who think Ghana has the most superior systems in West Africa.)
“I think I also heard him say that he can churn out 5 million pills at a go. The dude is a machine!”
Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Bright Simons further revealed that alongside Aveo, several other Indian pharmaceutical firms are exporting large quantities of high-dosage tapentadol and carisoprodol to Ghana and the wider Sahel region.
The crisis raises serious concerns about Ghana’s regulatory strength, as these drugs are being imported and distributed openly, rather than being smuggled through illicit channels.
Samospharma: Ghana’s Leading Importer of Opioids
A major revelation in Bright Simons’ exposé is the central role played by Samospharma, a Ghanaian pharmaceutical company, in importing these opioids.
“Customs data and intelligence shows that a large chunk of the tafrodol, tapendatol & carisoprodol batches imported into Ghana is financed by Sahelian merchants, mostly based in Niamey. However, one Ghanaian company stands head-to-toe with them: Samospharma.
“By November 2024, Samospharma had imported more than $6 million of opioids and other drugs from PRG Pharma of India, for instance. It also imported perfectly legal ‘eye drops’ from the likes of Zuche and Indiana Pharma”.
Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
According to the IMANI’s Honorary Vice President what makes Samospharma’s involvement particularly alarming is its founders’ esteemed reputation in Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector.
Bright Simons pointed out that the company’s executives are known for their work in drug supply chain management, including their role in developing DrugNet, a platform dedicated to ensuring pharmaceutical quality and transparency.
He also disclosed that they have also served as industry advisors for Ghana’s national e-pharmacy portal, adding that their direct involvement in the opioid trade has left many experts, including himself, in utter disbelief.
Regulatory Failure and Government Complicity
Perhaps the most damning aspect of Bright Simons’ revelations is that Samospharma is not clandestinely smuggling these opioids into Ghana, asserting that the company has been openly importing them with the full knowledge and authorization of the Ghanaian authorities.
Bright Simons presented documents including bills of lading for shipments that entered the country without the required FDA registration.
“I was thus shocked when the authorities attempted to throw the importers under the bus in their interviews with the BBC. It is very clear that Ghana is happily letting these opioids through.
“Even now, despite the loud protests about the addiction epidemic opioids are causing. Despite the occasional seizures and bonfires, Ghana’s ports remain open”.
Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
According to Bright Simons, a significant portion of the opioids imported into Ghana is financed by merchants from the Sahel region, particularly Niamey, Niger.
This suggests that Ghana is not just a destination for these drugs but also a major transit point for wider West African distribution.
According to Bright Simons the porous nature of Ghana’s borders, coupled with a lack of stringent enforcement, has made the country a prime target for drug traffickers looking to circumvent stricter regulations in neighbouring countries.
The implications of Ghana’s growing role in the opioid trade are severe. With opioid addiction already a public health crisis in many parts of the world, Ghana risks facing an epidemic if urgent measures are not taken.
Bright Simons posed a critical question: “What exactly is Ghana’s national policy on opioids?‘, insinuating that while the government occasionally seizes illegal drugs and burns confiscated shipments in public displays, these actions appear to be mere optics if importation continues unchecked.
The revelations made by Bright Simons paint a grim picture of Ghana’s regulatory landscape and the growing opioid menace in the country.
The complicity of both local pharmaceutical firms and government institutions in facilitating the importation of highly addictive and illegal drugs is a crisis that cannot be ignored.
If immediate action is not taken, Ghana risks becoming the epicentre of an opioid epidemic that could devastate its youth and destabilize public health systems.
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