Wagner's Illicit CAR Empire
Wagner Remnants Run Opioid Trafficking Empire to Fund Operations in Central African Republic
Key Points
The tramadol used by Wagner remnants in the Central African Republic largely originates from Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and is legally exported to the Republic of the Congo before smugglers move the drug across the Ubangi River into CAR, where Wagner-linked networks oversee distribution.
Wagner controls the Ndassima gold mine in CAR, with about five metric tons of gold extracted annually, worth up to approximately $500 million on international markets.
A Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) report details Wagner-linked actors embedded in CAR’s key ministries, security services, and customs, plus a government-backed fuel monopoly that generates between $17.5 million and $30 million in unjustified profits annually, with gold laundering routed through UAE-linked exporters using CAR-registered military cargo aircraft.
Wagner’s network has conducted illegal transfers of military cargo aircraft to move arms and mercenaries, helping position the Central African Republic as a logistics hub for Wagner operations across Africa.
Drug dosing details cited in reporting indicate tramadol’s use ranges from typical therapeutic doses of 50–100 mg, with 200 mg or more tablets commonly circulating, contributing to its characterization as 'the cocaine of the poor.'
Remnants of Russia's Wagner Group have built a thriving opioid empire in the Central African Republic, using tramadol trafficking to bankroll illegal gold mining and cement political control, according to The Wall Street Journal. About 500 Wagner fighters remain in CAR after founder Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, now operating under Pavel Prigozhin and running one of Africa's most sophisticated criminal networks.
Tramadol — a powerful opioid painkiller sometimes called 'the cocaine of the poor' — flows from Indian drug manufacturers into CAR via the Republic of the Congo and across the Ubangi River, United 24 Media reported. Wagner-linked networks then control distribution on the ground, tying drug profits directly to mining camps and military operations.
Tramadol Fuels Miners and Fighters Alike
High-dose tramadol tablets — 200 mg or more, far above the standard 50–100 mg therapeutic dose — circulate widely at Wagner-operated gold mining sites, i24 News reported. Miners use the drug to push through exhausting work shifts. Wagner fighters reportedly use it to build bravado before combat.
The drug moves through a simple but effective smuggling chain. Indian manufacturers legally export tramadol to the Republic of the Congo. Smugglers then carry it across the Ubangi River into CAR. Once inside the country, Wagner-linked actors take over distribution, according to United 24 Media.
Gold, Monopolies, and a State Captured by Wagner
Drug money is just one revenue stream. Wagner controls the Ndassima gold mine in CAR, pulling out roughly five metric tons of gold each year — worth up to $500 million on international markets, The Wall Street Journal reported. Gold is then laundered through UAE-linked exporters using CAR-registered military cargo aircraft.
A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime found Wagner-linked actors embedded inside CAR's key ministries, security services, and customs agencies. The group also runs a government-backed fuel monopoly that generates between $17.5 million and $30 million in unjustified profits every year, the report found.
CAR Becomes Wagner's Logistics Hub for All of Africa
Wagner has used CAR as a base to move arms and mercenaries across the continent. The group has made illegal transfers of military cargo aircraft to shuttle weapons and fighters to other African deployments, i24 News reported. CAR's weak institutions and porous borders make it ideal for these operations.
Wagner fighters have now extended their reach along the upper Oubangui River, setting up a drug distribution network that operates well beyond any official oversight, according to The Wall Street Journal. The river corridor gives the group a quiet, hard-to-monitor route for moving both drugs and cash.
How Wagner Survived Prigozhin and Grew Stronger
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023 after his short-lived mutiny against the Russian military. Many expected Wagner to collapse. Instead, most of its assets moved into state channels — but the CAR operation kept going under Pavel Prigozhin, United 24 Media reported.
The GI-TOC report described Wagner-linked actors as woven into the fabric of CAR's government. Coercion, resource extraction, and basic governance now all run through the same system. The drug trade, the gold mine, and the political connections are not separate operations — they reinforce each other, keeping Wagner's Africa mission alive and funded.
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