Indian manufacturers have rebranded the opioid Tramadol to Tafrodol to evade detection by customs officials at ports and borders in Nigeria, a report by Enactafrica has revealed.
While the name change makes the drug look like Tramadol, Tafrodol contains two ingredients that should not be combined and can reportedly cause respiratory infection, coma and even instant death.
The rebranding comes just after several shipments of Tramadol were seized at Nigeria’s border posts.
In August 2020, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intercepted 33 containers of Tramadol shipped from India worth N1.3 trillion in three different locations in Lagos.
Analysis by the ENACT organised crime project found that Lagos serves as a major market for Tramadol originating from Asia and shipped in through Cotonou in Benin. It is distributed legally and illegally to other parts of Nigeria, especially Edo and Kano states.
Under a 2018 Nigerian government policy, Tramadol is a restricted pharmaceutical product used to treat severe pain and be administered only through prescription by medical professionals.
Despite this, it is widely imported, smuggled and used – particularly among young people – for recreational and non-medical purposes. Health experts warn that this constitutes a threat to health security in the country.
Ahmed Yakasai, the former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, told ENACT that Tramadol’s rebranding for shipment into Nigeria had been ongoing for some time.
