Wagner’s Remnants Are Running an Opioid Empire in the Center of Africa
- Remnants of Russia's Wagner Group have established a lucrative tramadol trafficking network in the Central African Republic, led by Pavel Prigozhin, son of the late founder. The operation generates significant revenue beyond Kremlin control.
- Following the 2023 plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin absorbed most foreign operations worldwide. The Central African Republic remained a unique exception where remnants preserved independent financial influence and operational autonomy.
- Pharmaceutical shipments originate in India and travel through the Democratic Republic of Congo before reaching the Central African Republic. Wagner-linked networks distribute high-dose tablets locally nicknamed 'the cocaine of the poor' due to stimulant effects at large doses.
- Profits from the narcotics trade finance weapons and militias, deepening the mercenaries' grip on the Central African Republic's infrastructure. Research from Uppsala University indicates tramadol consumption coincided with a nearly 20% rise in fatalities, reaching roughly 500 deaths during the past year.
- Researchers warn that Wagner remnants are now coordinating with the Rapid Support Forces to enter Sudan's Darfur region. This expansion demonstrates the group's ability to operate with impunity while diversifying illicit revenue sources across the continent.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Wagner groups styr den Centralafrikanska republicen med järnhand. Ett knarkimperium har blivit groups kassako, där högdoserad tramadol förses till soldier, gruvarbetare – och även presidentens elitstyrka, rapporterar Wall Street Journal.
Merchants from the private military company Wagner who remained in the Central African Republic created a drug empire, specializing in smuggling and selling tramadol, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Following the death of Yevgueni Prigozhin in an air crash in August 2023, the Kremlin absorbed much of Wagner's international operations through the so-called African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Former Wagner mercenaries are supposed to control trade in highly dosed tramadol in the Central African Republic. Deliveries come mainly from India.
Mercenaries from the Wagner group still operating in the Central African Republic have established a drug empire based on the smuggling and sale of tramadol, the news portal Meduza reports, citing information published by The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal reports that remnants of the Russian mercenary group Wagner have created a vast illegal network in the Central African Republic centered on the opioid painkiller tramadol.
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