how Wagner ex-mercenaries fund operations with opioid trafficking in Africa

Even three years after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, the networks he established across Africa remain operational. Recent findings indicate that an opioid trafficking ring, centered on tramadol—a potent prescription painkiller—has become a key revenue stream for former Wagner Group mercenaries still active in the Central African Republic.

Investigations point to around 500 ex-Wagner fighters who chose to stay behind in the country following the group’s leadership crisis in August 2023. Among them is Pavel Prigozhin, the late founder’s son, who has reportedly taken a leading role in these illicit operations.

Following the reorganization of Wagner’s external operations under state-controlled entities, the shift has not diminished the group’s involvement in illicit trades. Instead, former combatants have adapted their strategies, leveraging transnational smuggling routes to move tramadol from production hubs into African markets where demand for affordable pain relief remains high.