Numerous drug production facilities have been uncovered by European authorities. In addition, international conflicts are feared to exacerbate the drug problem.
14.6. 14:31 • Updated June 14th. 14:32
Drugs are increasingly being produced in Europe. This is what the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) said in a report published on Tuesday. At the same time, the authorities warn of the spread of new psychoactive drugs.
According to the report, illegal laboratories blame huge amounts of amphetamine, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs for local consumption and export outside Europe.
This confirms previous observations that the continent is becoming a hub for drug trafficking instead of a mere consumer market.
– Established drugs have never been so readily available before, and effective new substances are constantly emerging. It can only affect anyone: directly or indirectly, says the director of the center Alexis Goosdeel.
Illegal drugs and the chemicals needed to make them are still largely imported from the rest of the world, such as South America and Asia. However, European criminal organizations have intensified their links with cartels outside the continent.
The latest data is from 2020, when authorities seized more than 350 drug laboratories and seized a record 213 tonnes of cocaine. In addition, production facilities for modified drugs such as cathinone were revealed. Cathinone is a stimulant found in the khat plant that belongs to the amphetamines.
The European Union Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction said that cathinone trafficking was at a record high, an example of the growing use of GM drugs in Europe. According to the report, new modified drugs appear every week.
Most illegal laboratories were found in Belgium and the Netherlands. In addition, there were production facilities in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, among others.
The situation in Ukraine could exacerbate the drug problem
Russia’s attack on Ukraine could make Europe more vulnerable to illicit drugs, the European Union Drugs Monitoring Center warns.
The center’s report states that stress and severe mental strain can predispose to substance abuse. Drug smugglers can switch routes for security reasons. In addition, drug addicts fleeing the war are straining health services, especially in Ukraine’s neighboring countries.
Continuity of care for refugees and the provision of accommodation and social security are key, the report says.
The center also noted that the weak economic situation in Afghanistan could lead to increased heroin smuggling. Drug money is becoming an increasingly important source of income and the cultivation of poppies continues, even though the production and sale of heroin is illegal in the country.
The impact of international conflicts on the drug problem in Europe coincides with the return of drug use to pre-pandemic levels. The center calls on European countries to expand substance abuse services.