The Wagner Group has built up a drug-trafficking network in Africa and finances itself independently of the Kremlin
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources within the intelligence services.
According to the publication, control over drug trafficking has enabled the mercenaries not only to maintain their presence in the region, but also to significantly reduce their financial dependence on Russia.
How the scheme works
Tramadol has become the key commodity — a synthetic opioid which, in large doses, has a narcotic effect and is highly addictive. In African countries, this drug is widely available on the black market due to its low price and accessibility.
According to the WSJ, the tablets are illegally manufactured in India and then shipped by sea to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The shipment is then transported across the Ubangi River to the Central African Republic, where its distribution, security and profit collection are controlled by militants from the Wagner Group. The publication notes that tablets with dosages of up to 200 mg are sold on the black market, although significantly lower doses are usually used in medical practice.
Drugs and gold mining
One of the main consumers of tramadol has become workers at gold mines and diamond deposits, which are also under the control of Russian mercenaries. According to journalists, the drug is used to enable miners to work longer without rest. The extraction of precious metals remains one of the group’s biggest sources of profit.
Sale of drugs to militants
In addition to miners, local armed groups have also become buyers of tramadol. According to the WSJ, the drug is used before combat to suppress fear, reduce pain and increase stamina.
The publication also cites a study by Uppsala University in Sweden, according to which the spread of illicit tramadol in the Central African Republic coincided with an almost 20 per cent increase in mortality rates during local armed conflicts.
According to the journalists’ assessment, the combination of control over gold mining, the drug trade and military operations has enabled the remnants of the Wagner Group to establish their own financial base and operate in the region with considerably greater autonomy than they did following Prigozhin’s death.
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