Europe turns into cocaine hub as multi-billion-euro market expands, EU says -Breaking
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© Reuters. FILEPHOTO: An employee pushes cocaine-laden cart before being incinerated of nine tonnes of cocaine taken in different operations. This was according to Ecuador’s Interior Ministry in an undisclosed warehouse in Ecuador.By Francesco Guarascio
BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – Europe is becoming a global hub for the production and transshipment of cocaine. This, according to EU agencies. They also warned about an expanding methamphetamine market.
According to a report from Europol, the law enforcement agency Europol, and EMCDDA, cocaine is Europe’s most popular drug. In 2020 it was sold for around 10.5 million euros (11.1 billion dollars).
The European market is expanding, driven both by increased South American production and the increase in European processing capabilities. This could increase with the development of new types of smokable drugs, according to the report, while warning about higher risks for health.
According to the report, “More production of cocaine is now occurring in Europe.”
Data from the EU agencies shows that Belgium is at the heart of Europe’s drug industry. The EU nation that took the largest amount of cocaine in 2020 (the last year data was available) is Belgium. There were 70 tonnes seized at Antwerp port, compared to 49 tonnes in Holland, Europe’s second-largest country for seizures.
According to the report Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands are also leaders in coca paste processing.
The report stated that cocaine imported from South America to Europe is being reexported more frequently to the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the globe, which makes Europe “a major transshipment point for drugs coming from elsewhere.”
European methamphetamine markets are also expanding, although they remain smaller than those for cocaine. The report noted that it is difficult to determine their exact size.
The Czech Republic has been the main producer and consumer of synthetic stimulants drug. However, new data suggests that demand for the drug is increasing in Western Europe. In particular, Belgium has emerged as a significant producer.
The report stated that there is growing concern over production facilities in Belgium and the Netherlands where methamphetamine could be manufactured on a much larger scale.
Europe is the largest methamphetamine producer in the world, according to EU agencies. European producers now collaborate more closely with Mexican criminals, they warned.
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