How Wagner’s tramadol trade fuels its grip in Central Africa

An “empire of drug trafficking in the Central African Republic”—that’s how Wagner, the Russian paramilitary group, has expanded its operations in this landlocked nation. Once weakened by the fall of its founder, Yevgeny Prigojine, in 2023, the group has found a renewed lifeline in the illicit trade of tramadol, a powerful opioid often dubbed the “poor man’s cocaine.”

Originally prescribed for mild pain, tramadol in the Central African Republic is repackaged and concentrated into a far more potent form. Its distribution, now controlled by Wagner’s forces, has become a lucrative revenue stream, supplementing the group’s other illicit ventures—particularly gold mining, which generates an estimated $180 million annually, according to Global Initiative research.