India's Opioid Kings, Indian Pharmaceutical Companies Manufacture Opioids Without Licenses And Export Illegally To West Africa For 20 Years

WEST AFRICA, OMIKAMI-TV - Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in Mumbai, makes a range of pills that go under different brand names and are packaged to look like legitimate medicines. But all contain the same harmful mix of ingredients: tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant so addictive it's banned in Europe.(28/02/2025).

This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world and can cause breathing difficulties and seizures. An overdose can kill. Despite the risks, these opioids are popular as street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.

The BBC Team World Service found packets of them, branded with the Aveo logo, for sale on the streets of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivoirian towns and cities.

Having traced the drugs back to Aveo's factory in India, the BBC Team sent an undercover operative inside the factory, posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria. Using a hidden camera, the BBC Team filmed one of Aveo's directors, Vinod Sharma, showing off the same dangerous products the BBC Team found for sale across West Africa.

In the secretly recorded footage, the operative tells Sharma that his plan is to sell the pills to teenagers in Nigeria "who all love this product". 

Sharma doesn't flinch. "OK," he replies, before explaining that if users take two or three pills at once, they can "relax" and agrees they can get "high". Towards the end of the meeting, Sharma says: "This is very harmful for the health," adding "nowadays, this is business."

It is a business that is damaging the health and destroying the potential of millions of young people across West Africa.

In the city of Tamale, in northern Ghana, so many young people are taking illegal opioids that one of the city's chiefs, Alhassan Maham, has created a voluntary task force of about 100 local citizens whose mission is to raid drug dealers and take these pills off the streets.

"The drugs consume the sanity of those who abuse them," says Maham, "like a fire burns when kerosene is poured on it." One addict in Tamale put it even more simply. The drugs, he said, have "wasted our lives".

The BBC Team followed the task force as they jumped on to motorbikes and, following a tip off about a drug deal, launched a raid in one of Tamale's poorest neighbourhoods. On the way they passed a young man slumped in a stupor who, according to locals, had taken these drugs.

When the dealer was caught, he was carrying a plastic bag filled with green pills labelled Tafrodol. The packets were stamped with the distinctive logo of Aveo Pharmaceuticals.

It's not just in Tamale that Aveo's pills are causing misery. The BBC Team found similar products, made by Aveo, have been seized by police elsewhere in Ghana.

We also found evidence that Aveo's pills are for sale on the streets of Nigeria and Cote D'Ivoire, where teenagers dissolve them in an alcoholic energy drink to increase the high.

Publicly-available export data show that Aveo Pharmaceuticals, along with a sister company called Westfin International, is shipping millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African countries.

Nigeria, with a population of 225 million people, provides the biggest market for these pills. It has been estimated that about four million Nigerians abuse some form of opioid, according to Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics.

The Chairman of Nigeria's Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa, told the BBC Team, "Opioids are destroying our youth, our families, and this is happening in every community in Nigeria," he said, his voice high with anger.

West African officials are warning that opioid exporters appear to be using these new combination pills as a substitute for tramadol and to evade the crackdown.

In the Aveo factory there were cartons of the combination drugs stacked on top of each other, almost ceiling-high. On his desk, Vinod Sharma laid out packet after packet of the tapentadol-carisoprodol cocktail pills that the company markets under a range of names including Tafrodol, the most popular, as well as TimaKing and Super Royal-225.

He told the BBC's undercover team that "scientists" working in his factory could combine different drugs to "make a new product".

Aveo's new product is even more dangerous than the tramadol it has replaced. According to Dr Lekhansh Shukla, assistant professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru, India, tapentadol "gives the effects of an opioid" including very deep sleep.

"It could be deep enough that people don't breathe, and that leads to drug overdose," he explained. "And along with that, you are giving another agent, carisoprodol, which also gives very deep sleep, relaxation. It sounds like a very dangerous combination."

Carisoprodol has been banned in Europe because it is addictive. It is approved for use in the US but only for short periods of up to three weeks. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, and hallucinations.

When mixed with tapentadol the withdrawal is even "more severe" compared to regular opioids, said Dr Shukla. "It's a fairly painful experience."

He said he knew of no clinical trials on the efficacy of this combination. Unlike tramadol, which is legal for use in limited doses, the tapentadol-carisoprodol cocktail "does not sound like a rational combination", he said. "This is not something that is licensed to be used in our country."

In India, pharmaceutical companies cannot legally manufacture and export unlicensed drugs unless these drugs meet the standards of the importing country. Aveo ships Tafrodol and similar products to Ghana, where this combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol is, according to Ghana's national Drug Enforcement Agency, unlicensed and illegal. By shipping Tafrodol to Ghana, Aveo is breaking Indian law.

We put these allegations to Vinod Sharma and Aveo Pharmaceuticals. They did not respond.

The Indian drugs regulator, the CDSCO, told us the Indian government recognises its responsibility towards global public health and is committed to ensuring India has a responsible and strong pharmaceutical regulatory system.

It added that exports from India to other countries are closely monitored and that recently tightened regulation is strictly enforced. It also called importing countries to support India's efforts by ensuring they had similarly strong regulatory systems.

The CDSCO stated it has taken up the matter with other countries, including those in West Africa, and is committed to working with them to prevent wrongdoing. The regulator said it will take immediate action against any pharmaceutical firm involved in malpractice.

Vinod Sharma Calls Aveo Cocktail Drug "Very Dangerous" But "This Is Business"

Aveo is not the only Indian company making and exporting unlicensed opioids. Publicly available export data suggest other pharma companies manufacture similar products, and drugs with different branding are widely available across West Africa.

These manufacturers are damaging the reputation of India's fast-growing pharmaceutical industry, which makes high-quality generic medicines upon which millions of people worldwide depend and manufactures vaccines which have saved millions of lives. The industry's exports are worth at least $28bn (£22bn) a year.

Speaking about his meeting with Vinod Sharma, the BBC's Team undercover operative, whose identity must remain concealed for his safety, says: "Nigerian journalists have been reporting on this opioid crisis for more than 20 years but finally, I was face to face… with one of the men at the root of Africa's opioid crisis, one of the men who actually makes this product and ships it into our countries by the container load. He knew the harm it was doing but he didn't seem to care… describing it simply as business."

He said, "This is very dangerous for their health. But now... this is a business," said Sharma, India's opioid king, smiling proudly. 

Back in Tamale, Ghana, the BBC team followed the local task force on one final raid that yielded even more Tafrodol Aveo. That night they gathered in a local park to burn the drugs they had confiscated.

“We burned it out in the open for everyone to see,” said Zickay, one of the task force leaders. 

When the packages are doused with gasoline and set on fire, “it sends a signal to sellers and suppliers...that if they catch you, they will burn your drugs,” Zickay said.

"Yet," he continued, "Even when the fire destroyed several hundred packets of Tafrodol, the “Sellers and Suppliers” at the top of this chain, thousands of miles away in India, continued to make millions in illegal drugs and continued to grow rich with profits made from misery," he concluded in a matter-of-fact tone.

(BBC Team) OMIKAMI-TV 

Trump Administration Ends Funding for UN Program to Fight HIV/Aids, Marocco Sends UNAids Letter Ending US Involvement In Saving Lives

USA, OMIKAMI-TV - The Trump administration has terminated its funding of the joint United Nations program on HIV/Aids, known as UNAids, delivering another devastating blow to the global fight against the disease, (27/02/2025).

The notice that US funding of UNAids is being cut off is the latest move by the administration to end American involvement in life-saving health and anti-poverty programs around the world. It was issued by Peter Marocco, a Trump loyalist who is spearheading the evisceration of the US overseas aid program through USAid.

Peter Marocco sends letter to UNAids terminating US involvement in serious blow to live-saving health service

Marocco said in a letter to UNAids that its funding was being terminated “for the convenience of the US government”. The action was made “for alignment with agency priorities and national interest”, he said.

The Trump administration’s funding freeze on foreign assistance has already wreaked havoc on HIV treatment programs worldwide. A new UN report has revealed the impact of the cuts on 55 different countries.

Before the funding freeze, the US government was responsible for two-thirds of all international financing for HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Much of it came through the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) which was founded by George W Bush in 2003 and which has financed about 70% of the global Aids response.

The countries most heavily dependent on financial support from Washington for the fight against HIV/Aids are among the most stricken parts of the planet. They include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and Haiti.

A study commissioned by the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation estimates that up to 500,000 people could die in South Africa over the next decade as a result of the US funding cuts. A further half a million new infections might be recorded as a result of USAid grants being stopped to South African health groups.

“We will see lives lost,” the foundation’s Linda-Gail Bekker said.

Trump’s initial attack on foreign assistance led in the opening days of the administration to a total freeze on funding overseas. That was softened by a 1 February waiver that allowed some life-saving care and services to prevent mother-to-child transmission to resume, allowing 20 million people living with HIV to continue receiving medication.

Despite the waiver, confusion and a sporadic flow of aid has already caused widespread suffering. Now, the new cut in funds to UNAids, which operates in 70 countries, will probably to add to the devastation.

“UNAids has received reports from 55 countries experiencing disruptions in their HIV responses due to the US foreign aid pause,” the executive director of the agency, Winnie Byanyima, said on social media.

“Any reduction could severely disrupt lifesaving prevention programs, risking new infections and reversing progress to end Aids.”

The UN has reported the almost total collapse of services in Ivory Coast since the funding freeze began. US programs had brought life-saving help to 85% of the 265,000 people living with HIV in the country.

The initial funding freeze led to a complete shutdown of services. Since the waiver was introduced, most US-funded HIV-prevention services for people at the greatest risk of infection remain closed.

This is the moment for truth

Donald Trump has full command of the US government and the backing of immensely powerful tech barons. 

Both Trump and others around him have threatened retribution against the media – and his cabinet includes people who have questioned established science – including the reality of the climate emergency.

In short, this is a critical global moment for fact-checked journalism.

Our rigorous, fact-based independent journalism will hold those in power to account and interrogate the human impact of the decisions made in the White House.

(Ed Pilkington/G) OMIKAMI-TV 

Budget 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa Set to Chair Special Cabinet Meeting to Discuss Controversial Budget

A SOUTH AFRICA, OMIKAMI-TV - President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair a special Cabinet meeting in Cape Town at 2pm on Monday to discuss the controversial Budget, sources said. (24/02/2025)

This comes after the Budget was postponed last week until March 12 amid disagreements between partners of the government of national unity (GNU) over a proposed two per cent VAT increase.

Sources have told the media that the meeting will only discuss the Budget.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa used his weekly bulletin on Monday to say:

"The last-minute delay is unfortunate," he said.

He reiterated that Cabinet decided to delay the presentation of the Budget to allow for further discussion on areas of disagreement among the GNU parties.

"It is therefore imperative that the various issues raised by the various parties regarding the Budget are addressed appropriately, in the interests of accountability, transparency and consensus building," he said.

He added that, "It is understandable that this new arrangement will require a different approach on some matters. The process of reaching agreement among the political parties in the GNU is still ongoing, but we will certainly get there.

"Differences of opinion, contradictions and policy differences are inherent in a government made up of several political parties," he explained.

Despite the differences of opinion among the parties on various matters, he said, "the middle ground remains".

"It is a sign of a healthy and strong democracy that such differences can emerge from time to time and be aired publicly. Such differences do not mean that the GNU is in crisis. They mean that democracy is working,” he stressed.

He also stated that, “A government of national unity, by its very definition, implies consensus building. No one party can impose its will. There needs to be comprehensive deliberation and meaningful engagement,” he said.

Ramaphosa added that he was confident that, “political parties will once again find each other,” he added.

Ramaphosa also addressed the issue privately at the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Nasrec in Johannesburg last Thursday.

At the time, he said that he was confident that the “unprecedented difficulties” South Africa was experiencing would be resolved, adding that the issue should not be viewed as a crisis.

Previously

For the first time since 1994, the budget speech has been postponed. It will now be delivered on March 12.

The disagreement that led to the postponement was over a 2 percentage point increase in VAT, which would have taken it from 15% to 17%.

In recent days, several political parties have opposed the VAT increase, as have trade unions, lobby groups and civil society organisations.

As previously noted, the postponement is a crucial moment for the DA’s role and power in the GNU.

At a press conference, Minister for the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni sought to portray the decision as a collective decision by Cabinet, not the result of pressure from one party.

To say that, “The DA has forced a delay is a ‘completely wrong’ assumption,” he told a press conference (19/02), adding that, “Even ANC ministers are against the proposed increase. It is not a ‘DA vs ANC’ decision, but a ‘Cabinet decision,’” he stressed.

However, the DA clearly sees the delay as a political victory, releasing a statement saying that it “demonstrates the strength of the DA in the Government of National Unity.”

On the other hand, the EFF and MK argued that the budget should have been presented so that Parliament could at least hear Treasury’s plans.

(Jairus Mmutle/GCIS) OMIKAMI-TV 

Inaugurating Regional Heads in 2025, President Prabowo: As 'Servants of the People', We Must Defend and Protect the Interests of the People'

INDONESIA (JAKARTA), OMIKAMI-TV - A festive atmosphere enveloped the area from the National Monument (Monas) to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, on Thursday, February 20, 2025, when the elected Regional Heads underwent a procession to the inauguration location by President Prabowo Subianto. Clad in official uniforms, they walked solemnly accompanied by music from the Gita Abdi Praja (GAP) drumband of the Institute of Domestic Government (IPDN).

The procession began from the Monas yard, where the Regional Heads gathered before walking to the Presidential Palace. The neat rows of Regional Leaders became a sight that attracted the attention of the public and invited guests who witnessed the historic moment.

Along the route to the Presidential Palace, the beat of drums and the blowing of trumpets from the GAP IPDN drumband added to the grandeur of the procession. Every now and then, the regional heads were seen waving to residents watching from a distance. This procession was not just a ceremony, but also a symbol of their commitment to carrying out the people's mandate.

Upon arrival at the central courtyard of the Presidential Palace, the Regional Heads immediately prepared to attend the inauguration ceremony which would be led directly by President Prabowo Subianto. This ceremony marked the beginning of a new term for them to carry out their duties in advancing their respective regions.

The procession which took place solemnly and full of enthusiasm became a symbol of new hope for development in various regions in Indonesia. Enthusiasm was seen on the faces of the Regional Heads who were ready to carry out the great responsibility in serving the community.

In his speech, the Head of State congratulated the inauguration of the Governors and Deputy Governors, Mayors and Deputy Mayors and Regents and Deputy Regents throughout Indonesia.

'I would like to congratulate you on the mandate given by the people of your respective regions, I would also like to congratulate you on being elected as Regional Heads of your respective regions," he said.

Furthermore, the Head of State said that this inauguration was a historic moment in the Republic of Indonesia by inaugurating 961 Regional Heads from 481 Regions.

"I think this is the first historic moment in our country. "We inaugurate 33 Governors, 33 Deputy Governors, 363 Regents, 362 Deputy Regents, 85 Mayors, 85 Deputy Mayors, with a total of 961 Regional Heads from 481 Regions inaugurated simultaneously at the Merdeka Palace by the Head of State," said the President.

He continued, "This also shows us all how great our nation is and also that our nation is so great, the fourth largest in terms of population in the world, that we have a living Democracy, a Democracy that works, a dynamic Democracy," explained the Head of State.

In his speech, the President emphasized to the elected and inaugurated Regional Heads that they were chosen by the people to become public servants and fight for the interests of the people to improve their lives.

"You have gone down to the people, you have asked for the people's trust and thank God you have succeeded in gaining the trust of your respective people. I would like to remind you on behalf of the State and Nation of Indonesia that you were elected, you are "Servants of the People", you are "Servants of the People", you must defend the interests of the people, you must protect the interests of our people, you must fight for the improvement of their lives... that is our duty... that is our duty," the Head of State reminded.

"Although we may come from different parties, from different religions, from different tribes, we have been born into the Great Family of the Archipelago, the Great Family of the Republic of Indonesia, the Great Family of Red and White, the Great Family of Bhineka Tunggal Ika, we are different but we are one," the President continued emphasizing.
The Head of State also invited all elected and inaugurated Regional Heads to serve the people by doing the best for the people.

"Let us serve our people, do the best for our people," concluded the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto closing his state speech, "Freedom...freedom...freedom."

The inauguration of the Regional Heads this time is not only an official momentum for the change of leadership in various regions, but also shows the spirit of togetherness in building a more advanced Indonesia.

(ABD/IR/TF/ALS) OMIKAMI TV 

World Governments Summit, President Prabowo : The Importance of the World's Active Role in Maintaining Global Stability with Peace and Justice

OMIKAMI-TV - The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto emphasized the importance of the world's active role in maintaining global stability with the principles of peace, justice, and mutual respect. In his speech at the online discussion session with the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the 2025 World Governments Summit, the Head of State said that the world is currently facing major challenges including the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Eastern Congo which require solutions based on dialogue and justice.

"We are at a difficult moment in history. The international landscape is evolving rapidly, marked by instability and economic protectionism. If we do not act wisely, these changes could become uncontrollable," said President Prabowo on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

President Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia always upholds these three principles in global diplomacy. Indonesia firmly supports the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and urges real efforts to end the cycle of violence.

"The world cannot allow the cycle of violence to continue. The crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Eastern Congo, and other regions in Africa reflect the erosion of global stability more broadly. Indonesia understands that rhetoric alone is not enough to face these challenges,” he added.

In addition, President Prabowo stated Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining balanced diplomacy with major countries, such as the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Indonesia also forges global partnerships by increasing its role in international organizations such as BRICS, OECD, CPTPP, and the Indo-Pacific Forum.

“We strive to listen as much as we speak, forging partnerships based on trust and mutual respect,” he said.

With the vision of active diplomacy, Indonesia is also committed to continuing to be a bridge between the north and south, and contributing to creating a more peaceful and stable global order. However, President Prabowo said that Indonesia must continue to maintain domestic stability and prosperity in order to be able to play an active role in global diplomacy.

“We must do our own homework at home. Our influence and ability to contribute to global stability are interconnected with the strength, resilience, and economic progress, as well as the social welfare of our nation and people,” he said. 

(ABD/ IRF) OMIKAMI-TV