crime
Europol: Drug trafficking “more active than ever”
The European police authority Europol is trying to curb the illegal drug trade. photo
© Jasper Jacobs/Belga/dpa
According to an analysis by Europol and the EU drug agency, organized crime in Europe is a security problem that should not be underestimated. Drugs are the main source of income.
According to the latest drug report, illegal drugs are being sold every year in the EU Drugs worth more than 31 billion euros were traded. The number one drug is cannabis with around 12 billion euros, followed by cocaine with around 11.6 billion euros. The influence of international drug trafficking on life in countries is becoming ever stronger, warned Europol and the EU drug authority EMCCDA when presenting the report.
Violence, corruption and the undermining of law and democracy are increasing, said Europol chief Catherine De Bolle in The Hague. “Criminal networks are no longer an invisible enemy.” Your influence is very visible. The investigators identified around 800 criminal groups that threatened security. Drugs are one of the main sources of income for organized crime.
According to the analysis, Europe is central to the production, procurement and trafficking of drugs. The experts point to the large-scale production of cannabis and synthetic drugs in Europe as well as the large quantities of cocaine that are smuggled from Latin America.
But the investigators can also point to successes. In the past ten years, far more cocaine has been confiscated than before. But that also leads to more violence in some cities with attacks and murders on the streets, said De Bolle. “The unrest among the gangs is increasing.” The director of the EU drug agency based in Lisbon, Alexis Goosdee, emphasized that the battle was certainly not won. “The illegal drug market is more active than ever and this is reflected in low prices and high quality.”