How can I buy cocaine online in Freetown

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How can I buy cocaine online in Freetown

Sierra Leone has been in political turmoil which climaxed to a civil war that lasted from The devastating war left the country not only politically unstable as a result of the millions of people who were killed, raped and amputated but left the people impoverished and vulnerable. The economic and political instability in the country made it become more attractive to organized criminals who used corrupt government officials including the vulnerability and susceptibility of the people to enhance their ill-gotten gains. The economic and political instability in the country made it become more attractive to organised criminals who used corrupt government officials including the vulnerability and susceptibility of the people to enhance their ill-gotten gains. The rippling effect of corruption in the country, necessitated the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission ACC by an Act of Parliament in February with the prime mandate to provide for the prevention of corruption and other related matters. The Act was eventually repealed and replaced by the Anti-Corruption Act which gives the commission the wide latitude of prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of corruption and corrupt practices and to provide for other related matters. Along with other government Agencies and Department, the ACC made strides in its investigation and prosecution powers. There were however several challenges it faced in the dispensation of its duties especially with the issues of handling corrupt public officials. Also referred to a as the Cessna Plane matter, this case was the biggest Organised crime case in the history of the country which served as an eye opener to the issue of drugs trafficking and corruption in Sierra Leone. The matter exposed the organised nature of drugs trafficking and the involvement of key personnel in the public and private sector including the government and law enforcement agencies. The eventual conviction of 15 accused persons demonstrated the positive step the nation was seen to be taking to combat illicit trafficking of drugs in the country. With the co-ordination of law enforcement bodies, security sector, enforcement agencies in the U. A and the U. The revelations of various issues during the investigation and trial create a question as to whether the nation was capacitated to handle Organised Crime involving corruption matters in the country. Therefore, analysis in this presentation will feature the investigation and trial of an organised crime including practical challenges to its detection, investigation and prosecution. Effective measures to overcome political interference and ensure the integrity of criminal justice authorities will also be discussed using the case study of the Cessna plane and other related corruption matters. The plane was both a cargo and commercial airline with about four crew members and the cocaine substances. Through intelligence and with the aid of the security sectors, the pilot, his assistant and two other members who landed in Sierra Leone including the flight were arrested and investigated. Whilst Sierra Leone relied exclusively on the police for the investigation of criminal activities, there was no substantive law that regulates the trafficking of illicit drugs in Sierra Leone. The Pharmacy and Drugs Act No. These persons were tried before the Hon. Mr Justice N. C Browne Marke. With the exception of the 13th, 14th and 17th accused persons who were acquitted and discharged, all accused persons were found guilty of various counts charge and sentenced to various fines and imprisonments. The incident with the Cessna Plane exposed the weak security and the vulnerability of the citizens to organized traffic dealers. It also exposed the prevalent corruption of high placed politicians and law enforcement officials in the public sector and the weak system in operation then towards the enforcement of laws to regulate drugs trafficking and the need for the creation of a partnership in the fight against the drug Organised Crime. The notion of corruption amongst public officials has actually been subjected to varying debate as to what marshalls the blame: poverty or bad governce? Rowe et al established a close connection between corruption and organised crime. Using Australia as an example, they illustrate how the pattern of offending by organised criminals can be altered by inducing public officials to facilitate criminal action. The identification of stringent measures like legislations and effective law enforcement normally turn their attention to other means through which their criminal act can be forstered. Their studies identified officials who are engaged in the trade not because they are poor but because of bad governance. Poor governance has always been closely linked to the corruption of officials. This major challenge was also identified by Brown He attributed the increase in drugs trafffiking in the West Africa to low standard of governance, and high levels of corruption backed up by the low enforcement capacity. Governance in Sierra Leone is plagued by corruption at all levels and regulation of these corrupt practices by donors is still a challenge. The formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission brought a ray of hope to hold government officials accountable for corrupt practice. However, the success of its formation is only now being realised with the appointment of the New Commssioner Francis Ben Kelfala who handed over a recovered sum of Sixteen Billion Leones from corrupt public officials to the president of Sierra Leone just a year after his appointment and still resilient in the fight against corruption. This has been seen as an immense stride since the establishment of the Commission. Prior to his appointment, the former Vice President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Samsumana, was insinuated to being involved in a number of illicit activities including the cocaine scandal but was not investigated nor prosecuted. Most of the political exposed persons in the country who served as a motivating force to drugs trafficking and Organised Crime are not poor. However, they use the poor officials to speed up the corruptive act. So it can be a blend of the two: corruption revolving in poor governance and poverty. Several challenges were identified in the study of the Cessna Plane matter. The first was the organised nature of drug trafficking and the involvement of officials in the illicit drug trade. The cocaine saga has exposed the collusion of the organised nature of drugs trafficking involving the nationals of the country who collaborate with foreigners to achieve their criminal goal. It is very difficult if not impossible to effect organised crime without corruption and the illicit drugs trafficking has been identified as one of the lucrative forms of organised crime, which requires systemic corruption for it to flourish in any society The collusion of corrupt officials and criminal gangs facilitate the execution of the criminal act. A major challenge is the fight against corrupt officials in the varying sectors in Sierra Leone who are bribed and used as agents to foster drugs trafficking which hampers the effectiveness of public service delivery and destabilizes self-confidence in public institutions. They identified the politicians including members of their families and high level officials who coordinates directly with drug traffickers in initiating the criminal act in the country. Their initiation of the crime filters down to the inspectors and low level public officers who are corrupted to disregard policies and regulations to foster the criminal act. Whilst inspectors and low level officers contribute to governance loss, high level officials and politicians contribute to economic loss to the state. There is no doubt that the West African governments have been battling with governance issue and Sierra Leone is no exception. The involvement of government officials, state actors, law enforcement officials and agencies is not a novel issue in Organised Criminal Act especially drugs trade in Sierra Leone. Allen argues that the involvement of Africans in the drugs trafficking organised trade is a direct result of globalisation due to factors like easy movement of people within borders, the gradual decline of language barriers, relationship between African states and international communities. Corruption for him is a secondary issue. However, this case reveals the primary level of corruption facilitated by government officials in undermining the security and health of the state. In the investigation of the Cessna Plane matter, a key government official who was then the Minister of Transport and Aviation, Kemoh Sesay was implicated. He gave permission for clearance to be issued by the 13th accused for the Cessna Plane to land without going through the right procedure. He bypassed established regulations and invoked his ministerial authority and high level discretion to create an opportunity to foster the trafficking of the drugs through the Sierra Leone. During the conduct of investigations, Kemor Sesay was identified as a key figure in the organised crime and should have been charged. However, the final case file, which came from the Law Officers Department after being sent for legal advice , exonerated the minister. Final directives on whom to charge rest with the Director of Public Prosecutions. This authority is accorded him by section 46 of the Criminal Procedure Act No 32 of as amended. Therefore, though the conduct of investigation revealed that he the minister should be charged yet the Director of Prosecution exonerated him in his advice to the police. His protection was so carved that other people would have been implicated for him to be freed but for the intelligence of the judge. His involvement in the trafficking was kept discrete by prosecutors and only revealed by the 13th accused during the trial. This was not an instance of someone invoking the defence of Superior Authority. It was simply a case of an accused person saying that I did not commit the offences with which I am charged. If as I accept, the minister had made it clear that no permit should be issued without his say-so, and this was known to the prosecution before these proceedings were brought I find it hard to believe that the prosecution seriously believed it had a case against 13th and 14th accused persons respectively and not the minister. I must also express my strong disapproval of the strategy employed by the prosecution. This statement was not in the bundle of proofs of evidence filed and served pursuant to the order I made on 10th December It means the prosecution were deliberately holding back vital evidence supportive of their case for a reason which was not hard to find. They were prepared to jeopardise their case to save perhaps one person from perdition This incident served as one of the major challenges in the investigation and prosecution of political exposed persons. The aspect of high discretion as an opportunity for corruption and as seen exercised in the case study, was identified by Graycar and Sidebottom There was no one to monitor the activities and decisions of the minister leading to illegal orders being passed unchecked. This creates possibilities for corruption to be often individualised and civil servants and politicians exploit a situation where their position is used to collect illegal income for themselves When he was about to be charged, he was protected by the system. This for Graycar and Sidebottom is an example of a corrupt society where nepotism and patronage are accepted. Members of the same political party receive undue advantage not merited and serving as a loss to the state It is no secret in the whole of the West African region of the involvement of key government officials and the protection accorded to these drug traffickers. For instance, a report from Liberia revealed how drug traffickers attempted to bribe the Director of the Republic of Liberian National Security Agency and his deputy for easy access and protection of their cocaine inside the country. In fact, in , both the Attorney General and Minister of Justice made a report of a death threat because of their investigation into a drug matter. The involvement of key state officials led to the eventual death of both the President and the Interior minister. In Guinea, the son of the President was also involved in drugs trafficking together with a number of high-ranking security officials who used their diplomatic passport to traffic drugs. What is quite challenge is the protection accorded to these criminals by the state. But for the wit of the judge both 13th and 14th accused would have been sentenced whilst the minister will be moving freely arranging for the trafficking of more drugs. If this fight should produce a good dividend, the collaborative effort of all state actors against all criminals, no matter the political connection, should be fostered. There should be the utilisation of control measure that will subject the decision making process in these institutions to regular check for transparency and accountability Graycar and Villa Another challenge identified during the conduct of investigation and prosecution of the matter is the inadequate support offered by the state to enforcement bodies. The government departments and offices established for the fight against organised crime and corrupt officials are most times under-resourced and understaffed. The Anti-Corruption Commission has made significant strides in the past years but that cannot be said of other law enforcement agencies. During the investigation of the Cessna Plane matter, mobility for the commencement of the investigation was difficult. Colleagues who were part of the investigation team recalled that when they were informed about the plane and the escape of the pilots and other suspects who were part of the organised deal, there was no vehicle for them to move. As a result, most of the suspects fled the country and the police was unable to secure their arrest. Also, police officers who did the investigations were untrained and unqualified to handle organised drug trafficking matter at that time. The Organised criminal act met enforcement officers unprepared as it was the first major transnational organised crime investigation done by the police. They also lacked forensic capacity and capability to address forensic exhibits and had to rely on British and American partnerships, which enabled most of the exhibits to be taken to England for analysis. However, this slowed down the process of investigations. Most of these challenges are never reported in researches and articles but they are quite important, challenging and frustrating the effort of investigation. These obstacle in investigations serve as opportunities which criminals use to identify suitable target to perpetrate their acts and eventually cannot be properly investigated and prosecuted. But for the vigilance of the law enforcement officers, the traffickers would not have been caught as there was poor system in place to help in the identification and tracking of the drug criminals. These challenges can forestall a whole criminal investigation and prosecution process. Most importantly, the matter of the Cesna plane reveals that for an effective fight to be instituted against Organised Criminals, corrupt officials and politically protected persons, there is the need for training on capacity enhancement and collaboration to enable proper investigation and prosecution with a goal to securing conviction. To enable successful investigation and prosecution of Transnational Organised crime, several issues can emerge like Asset recovery and Money Laundering related issues which necessitate the collaboration of multidisciplinary team or unit involving Public Prosecutors, Financial Investigators, Forensic Accountant, Asset Managers, Law Enforcement Officers etc. These sets of officials can come from a range of sectors of State Departments. The Cessna Plane matter reveals a high level of corruption and abuse of office which would have warranted the investigation of corrupt officials and the trail of the proceeds of crime. At the initiation of investigation, there would have been need to trace the assets of the suspects in line with the investigation. The investigation revealed that no proper checklist for the collection of basic information in line with the charge of Money Laundering and its predicate offences was done. Aside basic information for investigation then, there were no investigations on criminal records, no records of public source, no proper searches on targets and associates, no adequate cross border declarations, no immigration records, no real estate records which might have included purchase agreement, loan applications, no information identifying banks or bank accounts etc. These issues and many others might have limited them to prefer the charges only preferred. One might argue that in , adequate provisions were not available for the investigation of corruption dealings with Transnational Organised Crime, Money Laundering and its predicate offences etc. Following the trial and studying the judgment of the case, I see a lot of investigative flaws and will attribute that mainly to the lack of collaboration with other investigative agencies to neatly tie up the investigation before a charge was preferred. My point however will be reiterated that no agency has monopoly over investigative procedures and knowledge. Collaboration and cooperation will enhance adequate investigation and eventual successful conviction There is also the challenge of securing convictions after organised criminals have been identified and charged by the police which seems to frustrate the effort of law enforcement officials. A typical case in point is the Timbergate case involving Political Exposed Persons. The press release issued from State House before the investigation and prosecution of Dr Richard Conteh were thus:. It has come to the attention of His Excellency the President that Dr. Richard Konteh, Chief of Staff in the Office of the President was not open and transparent in the conduct of official negotiations for a mining agreement with a private sector operator, thereby violating established policy, undermining existing institutional arrangements and exposing government to potential loss of revenue. In another matter involving the illegal export of timber from Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Police are investigating an unauthorised executive order allegedly issued by Dr. Konteh granting an open-ended mandate to the timber harvesters, processors and exporters SL LTD to undertake the export of an unlimited quantity of value-added processed timber in direct contravention of the approval granted by His Excellency for a fixed quantity of 30 containers only. Against this background, His Excellency the President has decided to relieve Dr. Konteh of his duties with immediate effect while the police continue their investigation. The Preliminary Investigations started in Interestingly, few months into the hearing of the matter at the High Court, the Director of Public Prosecution made an application to the court offering no evidence against all accused persons which was granted by the court, discharging all accused persons on Tuesday the 11th of April Several questions including why the President had not handed over all the evidence of corruption and fraud he had collected on Dr Richard Conteh to the Anti-Corruption Commission in instead of calling on the police to investigate, were left unanswered? Whatever precipitated the actions of the Director of Public Prosecution is still a debate but these actions served as a demotivating factors in the investigation and prosecution of allegedly corrupt officials using political power to entrench themselves in governance. However, several of these matters involving allegations of poor governance and corruption of officials precipitated the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry by the present government into allegations of corruption by public officers. The president speech in launching ceremony of the COI reiterate a war against corruption. He also affirmed that: As a people, the Commissions of Inquiry give an opportunity to hold accountable those we once entrusted with public offices. We owe it to our country; we owe it to our compatriots and generations yet unborn to get it right once and for all. This is democratic accountability and our collective determination to win the war on corruption. The COI ended culminating into reports and recommendations. Sierra Leoneans await the outcome of these appeals and to see whether the intent behind the establishment of the COI will be realised. Organised Criminal Activities pose serious threat to not only the nation but sub regions and undermine state institutions, with corruption now established as a significant opportunity used by public officials and politically exposed persons to wield control of a nation in fostering their criminal act. Intervention for their control should be geared towards the implementation of policies that would increase the risk and lower the rewards in the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth by corrupt officials. One of such interventions should be the enactment of strong legislations against corruption in both the private as well as the public sector and the cooperation and collaboration of investigative agencies This will enhance active investigation utilising various investigative expert skills that will help the investigative process before charges are preferred. Also the decision making process must be subjected to regular checks in ministries and department to avoid abuse of offices. The implementation of strong supervision and oversight should not be neglected. The lack of supervision can cause a lot of problem. It should be noted that in the African culture, the acceptance of gift has nothing to do with corruption. In fact, in Sierra Leone, the chief accepts gift as a welcome gift to strangers. As such, a nation-wide sensitization on aspect of corruption and integrity should be utilized. The media has to be very instrumental by educating the people on the importance of integrity. There should also be empowerment of Anti-Corruption Commission for ongoing review and reformation of the law to criminalize, investigate and prevent corrupt individuals. The Anti-corruption unit in Sierra Leone has been well armed legislatively to fight corruption. The Anti-Corruption Act as amended, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the structural challenges which have to some extent been overcome have placed the unit in a position to fight corruption. However, as Glaycer and Villa pointed out, there has to be a blend of the law and culture. Moreover, the empowerment of the various investigative departments with adequate resources and the recruitment of staff to ensure effective service delivery have to be the government prime concern. There should be regular trainings for investigators to keep abreast contemporary investigation skills. Adequate remuneration should be made available to investigators who are tasked with investigating corrupt officials to ensure integrity and professionalism. ACC SL Africa and the drugs trade: Review of African Political Economy, , Corruption and Control: A corruption reduction approach. Journal of Financial Crime: 19 4 , Emerald Group Publishing limited Graycar, A. The loss of governance capacity through corruption. Corruption in Africa part 1. Organised crime and public sector corruption: a crime scripts analysis of tactical displacement risks. Copyright is a legal concept that gives creators of intellectual property exclusive rights to the use, distribution, and sale of their work. The purpose of copyrights is to encourage creativity and to protect creators from the exploitation of their work by others. Although copyrights are necessary for protecting creators and the products of their creative labor, the length and scope of copyright terms can have an adverse effect on creativity. Wrongful communication otherwise referred to as leaks or divulging in both the Civil and public service can taint the integrity of any organisation or institution. Information used in policy making and administration are deemed confidential and treated with utmost priority. Case Study: Detection and Investigation of the Cessna Plane in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone has been in political turmoil which climaxed to a civil war that lasted from JOAN M. Joan M. S Bull About the author. S Bull Copyright is a legal concept that gives creators of intellectual property exclusive rights to the use, distribution, and sale of their work. S Bull Wrongful communication otherwise referred to as leaks or divulging in both the Civil and public service can taint the integrity of any organisation or institution.

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How can I buy cocaine online in Freetown

These datasets underpin the analysis presented in the agency's work. Most data may be viewed interactively on screen and downloaded in Excel format. All countries. Topics A-Z. The content in this section is aimed at anyone involved in planning, implementing or making decisions about health and social responses. Best practice. We have developed a systemic approach that brings together the human networks, processes and scientific tools necessary for collecting, analysing and reporting on the many aspects of the European drugs phenomenon. Explore our wide range of publications, videos and infographics on the drugs problem and how Europe is responding to it. All publications. More events. More news. We are your source of drug-related expertise in Europe. We prepare and share independent, scientifically validated knowledge, alerts and recommendations. About the EUDA. Much of our knowledge about cocaine trafficking routes results from law enforcement activity and intelligence. Information on types and quantities of drugs seized and information on the origin and destination of shipments give indications of the main routes and modes of transport. However, such information is affected by factors such as law enforcement strategies, resources and priorities, as well as temporary changes to routes and practices in response to interdiction efforts or new opportunities. Hence, caution is needed in interpreting these data. The 1 tonnes of cocaine seized worldwide in was the highest ever to be reported. As in previous years, the vast majority of the global total was seized in the Americas, followed by western and central Europe. Although small in comparison with the Americas and Europe, quantities seized in emerging cocaine markets in Africa and Asia also reached record highs in UNODC, a see Figure Global quantity of cocaine seized. The source data for this graphic is available in the source table on this page. Record levels of cocaine production have been matched by record quantities seized, especially from containers handled in the numerous ports along the transatlantic cocaine routes. Most of the cocaine seized in the EU is transported by sea, primarily in maritime shipping containers. Cocaine is shipped to the EU directly from the countries of production but also from neighbouring countries of departure in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Based on quantities of cocaine seized in European ports and in ports elsewhere destined for Europe see Box Detailed analysis of cocaine seized in or destined for EU , Brazil about 71 tonnes , Ecuador The latter is a relative newcomer in the top countries of origin for shipments destined for Europe, confirming that Central America now has a more significant role EMCDDA and Europol, This is likely to reflect a diversification of trafficking routes within the Americas. In total, 25 countries in the Americas reported seizures of cocaine with Europe as the intended destination in In addition to the countries previously listed, also mentioned are Paraguay There have traditionally been two main areas through which maritime and air shipments of cocaine transit en route to Europe: the Caribbean, and the West African mainland and neighbouring islands of Cape Verde, Madeira and the Canaries. While these are likely to remain significant transit areas, there are indications that North Africa continues to grow in importance and that transhipment through the Western Balkans, while remaining more limited in scope, may also have increased. From the Caribbean, cocaine is typically shipped on pleasure craft via the Azores, or by air, either on direct flights or via a variety of transit points. The quantities of cocaine seized in the West African mainland and neighbouring islands, together with those seized in Europe coming from the region appear to be small in comparison to the amounts seized at departure points in the Americas. Data reported at the international level indicate that cocaine seizures in West Africa totalled This includes a finding that more than 16 tonnes of cocaine was seized in the region that year, reversing the dearth of seizures recorded since Bird, Large seizures were also reported in This includes a shipment of 2. According to media reporting, Gambian drug authorities were searching for the owner of the consignment, a French national, in connection with the incident News24, ; Reuters, Although considerably less cocaine was seized in North Africa 1. However, developments in the last four or five years suggest that the region, particularly its coasts on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is a growing transit and storage hub for cocaine both arriving by sea directly from South America and coming via West Africa by land for onward transport to Europe or elsewhere, for instance the Middle East EMCDDA and Europol, ; GI TOC, The main cocaine hub of North Africa is probably Morocco. The country has traditionally seized the largest quantities of cocaine in the region, which continued in with seizures totalling 1. There are indications that the Moroccan total could be even higher. For instance, in October , more than 1. The drugs were concealed in a container on a ship that had departed from Brazil and was bound for Antwerp, Belgium, and Portbury, a middle-sized port in Bristol, United Kingdom Kundu, On a much smaller scale than Morocco, international cocaine trafficking activities in Algeria and Libya reported in the last edition of this report EMCDDA and Europol, ; Micaleff, appear to have continued in the recent period. In , Algeria reported seizing about kilograms UNODC, a , while there are indications that Libyan seizures amounted to over 44 kilograms. In December , there were two significant seizures from containers bound for Libya: one in Ecuador on a container bound for Libya and Syria kilograms , and another in Malta from a container originating in Ecuador kilograms Dixon, This area is a known hub for the transhipment of drugs at sea, particularly cannabis resin from Morocco, on ships bound for Europe or Libya, while significant quantities of cocaine have been seized in the port of Oran recently Ben Yahia and Farrah, For instance, non-routine data reported by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex on drug seizures at a number of border posts between the EU and the Western Balkans in and indicate that comparatively small amounts of cocaine enter the EU from that region. Meanwhile, Frontex data confirm the large quantities of cocaine seized in Spain, a traditional entry point for cocaine into the EU Frontex, Nevertheless, individual seizures in and could suggest that cocaine trafficking through ports in the Western Balkan region, particularly in Albania and Montenegro, may have increased. For example, kilograms was seized in the port of Durres, Albania in April Exit. Montenegrin authorities also suspect that more than 3 tonnes were smuggled through the port of Bar in the second half of Kajosevic, Furthermore, Kosovo seized a shipment of kilograms of cocaine in May after it had been smuggled through the Albanian port of Durres Halili, For the fourth consecutive year, record amounts of cocaine were seized in Europe in At Meanwhile, new records were also established elsewhere in , including Greece 1. This indicates that entry points of cocaine shipments are diversifying and that cocaine consumer markets are developing in eastern Europe including Turkey see Cocaine retail markets: multiple indicators suggest continued growth and diversification. Source: The source data for this graphic is available in the source table on this page. Data available for a few key countries indicate that even larger quantities of cocaine were seized in the EU in For instance, data on cocaine seizures in Belgium indicate that almost 92 tonnes of cocaine was seized in , almost all in the port of Antwerp. If seizures made elsewhere of shipments that were destined for Antwerp are taken into account, then close to tonnes of cocaine was seized in connection with Antwerp in Belgian Federal Police, personal communication. The preliminary data available from a few countries indicates that more than tonnes of cocaine were seized in the EU in , exceeding the previous record European total Cocaine traffickers flexibly use a wide range of innovative trafficking methods, which evolve over time in response to enforcement efforts and other factors. Although cocaine also enters the EU by air, the main route used to smuggle the drug into Europe is still the maritime route from South America to western Europe, especially taking advantage of the licit containerised trade. Maritime transport allows the smuggling of large quantities, and the nature of international commercial maritime traffic means that a vast number of routes can be and are used. In addition, smaller, private sailing boats or even semi-submersible vessels are capable of bringing in large quantities of cocaine in single shipments, entering Europe at many points see Box First two semi-submersible drug-smuggling vessels captured in Europe. Criminal networks involved in cocaine trafficking now also more frequently employ methods of transport such as mother ships, pleasure craft, fishing vessels, cruise ships and the drop-off method. Major European container ports have recorded many seizures of large cocaine shipments in recent years. In addition to targeting major ports, organised criminal networks are now increasingly shipping larger amounts of cocaine from South America to smaller ports in the EU or neighbouring countries, where security measures may be easier to circumvent. Corruption of maritime and aviation port employees and security officials throughout Europe is, in most cases, a key condition for the successful use of these facilities for cocaine importation by criminal networks. Most of the cocaine available in Europe continues to be smuggled into the largest container ports of the EU located in Belgium Antwerp , the Netherlands Rotterdam and Spain Valencia and Algeciras. The German authorities have attributed the recent increase in seizures in the port of Hamburg to the activities of Balkan and Albanian-speaking organised crime networks BKA, The use of these ports shows how criminal networks continue to exploit established commercial maritime routes between Latin America and Europe to smuggle cocaine into the EU. Taking advantage of the large volume of containerised trade in goods between the two regions, criminal networks are able to conceal large quantities of cocaine in individual shipments. As a result, the main European container ports have recorded increasing numbers of large-volume cocaine seizures in recent years. While these main container ports continue to be targeted, it is likely that law enforcement activities at these facilities have pushed some criminal networks to find alternative smuggling routes, resulting in a recent intensification of cocaine shipments to smaller ports in the EU or in neighbouring countries where security measures may be viewed as easier to evade. The available data suggest that cocaine trafficking towards the EU continued during the COVID pandemic without any apparent disruption. At least tonnes of cocaine destined for Europe was seized in Some tonnes was seized at departure ports located in Latin America, and approximately tonnes was seized at EU ports. As in previous years, the largest quantity of cocaine in the EU was seized in Belgian ports 69 tonnes , followed by Dutch 45 tonnes and Spanish ports 26 tonnes. In Latin America, the largest amount was seized at ports in Brazil 45 tonnes , Ecuador 24 tonnes and Colombia 18 tonnes see Figure Top 10 countries for quantity of cocaine destined for Europe seized at ports in A total of 60 tonnes of cocaine was seized in such secondary EU ports in see Figure Top 10 EU seizing ports for quantity of cocaine. For a description of different concealment methods, see Figure Maritime trafficking: diversification of modus operandi. The available data indicates that in Latin America, the largest quantities of cocaine destined for Europe were seized in Guayaquil, Ecuador 23 tonnes , and Santos, Brazil 21 tonnes. If all seizures departing from these ports are taken into consideration, totalling about 61 tonnes shipped from Guayaquil and 31 tonnes from Santos, it becomes clear that these two ports are used intensively by cocaine trafficking criminal networks. Analysis of concealment methods emphasises some key features that enable large quantities of cocaine to be smuggled to the EU. Criminal networks are creative and appear to be able to rapidly adapt to avoid detection, which explains why a range of modi operandi are implemented. The data indicate that the port of Antwerp is probably the main entry point for cocaine smuggled into the EU. Europol intelligence suggests that most of the cocaine entering Antwerp is destined initially for the Netherlands, where further distribution is arranged. Focusing exclusively on cocaine seized outside Europe and destined for Belgian ports in the period, a variety of modi operandi can be observed in the 10 main shipping ports see Figure Top 10 source ports for quantity of cocaine destined for Belgian ports. The reasons for this are unclear and require additional research and closer monitoring. That said, Ecuador, which shares land borders with both Colombia and Peru, two of the main cocaine-producing countries, seems to have transformed in the last decade or so from a transit country into a major trafficking hub. Furthermore, it is now also reportedly emerging as a cocaine-producing country Pichel, Such transformation is thought to have fuelled recent violence between local gangs rumoured to be used by important cocaine trafficking networks from Colombia and Mexico. A recent surge in assassinations, which nearly doubled between and , including violent prison gang riots in which hundreds of inmates died in , are reportedly linked with cocaine trafficking in the country, particularly in the port of Guayaquil. Only the top 5 ports with data available for all years are shown. Operations supported by Europol have exposed the role played by corruption in the functioning of drug markets in Europe, a factor that may have been underestimated in the past. Corruption is a crime enabler for all types of criminal activities and is a significant facilitator of drug trafficking activities. In this regard, corruption is used by traffickers to gain entry to ports, to access drugs hidden in containers, to set up or ensure control over businesses used as covers for smuggling activities, such as renting transport vehicles or storage premises, and also to facilitate money laundering, among others. Indeed, various modi operandi used to smuggle cocaine through EU ports require corruption, and recent investigations in some EU ports have provided valuable insights on the methods used by criminal networks to retrieve cocaine shipments from containers in the EU. Of course, the threat of corruption is not restricted to EU ports, since it is also used in most other ports targeted by criminal groups globally. Subsequently, criminal actors will need to introduce the drugs into the container and replace the seal that has been broken during this process with a counterfeited one. Usually, this operation takes place after customs have cleared the container. In the destination port, the criminal network will, again, need inside help and information as they usually require the targeted container to be placed in a specific location in order to facilitate access to it, for instance on the ground and with unimpeded access to the doors. Additionally, they must receive confirmation that the container has been placed in the desired location and, depending on the type of rip-off method used, extract the cocaine from the container and transport it outside the port area. Other modi operandi may also require corruption as a facilitator. Concealing cocaine within shipments of legitimate goods can also use corruption, for instance in order to be informed and take necessary action if the container has been selected for physical inspection, or to receive customs clearance without such inspection. According to a law enforcement official from Seaport Police, a unit of the Dutch Police, interviewed in the press in , acts of corruption involving staff from shipping companies were identified in the port of Rotterdam in the previous two and a half years Driessen and Meeus, An investigation that led to the seizure of An ex-governor, a harbour master, three police officers and a lawyer were among the 22 suspects arrested during this operation Eeckhaut, Workers in other large EU ports such as Le Havre, France, or Alicante, Spain, have been targeted by criminal networks and engaged to facilitate cocaine importation. Recruitment into corrupt activities is usually carried out by offering large sums of cash or other valuable assets and services, but can also be achieved using violence and intimidation Gil, Kidnappings and murders of port workers have been reported in various EU ports in recent years Auvray, ; Europol, e. Cocaine smuggling by air primarily involves the use of commercial passenger flights, cargo aircraft and general aviation private aircraft. Fairly large shipments of cocaine are smuggled directly from South America and the Caribbean to western Europe by private business aircraft, and use of this method is expected to increase in the future. Stricter border controls and more effective security checks may encourage criminal networks to use secondary international airports and small airfields see Box Private jets: the Achilles heel in the fight against cocaine trafficking by air. With some travel restrictions remaining in place and significantly reduced air passenger traffic, it is likely that the use of air couriers will remain limited compared to the pre-COVID period. In the pre-pandemic period, smaller quantities of cocaine were smuggled using commercial flights. Couriers flew from airports in South and Central America and the Caribbean to major European airports, either directly or after stopovers in countries such as Morocco, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. After arrival at the main EU distribution hubs, cocaine shipments are primarily trafficked by road in passenger vehicles and lorries to local markets. Intra-EU trafficking of cocaine also involves commercial flights, light aircraft and helicopters, railway, sea transport, and post and parcel services. Cocaine loads are often hidden in sophisticated concealed compartments in cars, trucks and other vehicles, sometimes with shipments of other drugs. These compartments are also used to transport cash back to the distribution hubs. In addition, Europol intelligence indicates that some European criminal networks orchestrate cocaine shipments directly from South America to Asia without the drugs ever entering the EU. In , cocaine was the most frequently seized substance from air couriers intercepted at European airports and the third most frequently detected drug at European mail centres, after cannabis and other psychotropic substances Council of Europe, The COVID pandemic accelerated an expansion in the use of post and parcel services to fulfil orders placed online. Postal and parcel services are exploited for the distribution of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, synthetic drugs Council of Europe, , new psychoactive substances, counterfeit currency, stolen and fraudulent documents, and many other illicit commodities. The distribution of illicit goods using post and parcel services is set to increase further in line with the expected growth of online retail activity. Consult the list of references used in this resource. Homepage Quick links Quick links. GO Results hosted on duckduckgo. Main navigation Data Open related submenu Data. Latest data Prevalence of drug use Drug-induced deaths Infectious diseases Problem drug use Treatment demand Seizures of drugs Price, purity and potency. Drug use and prison Drug law offences Health and social responses Drug checking Hospital emergencies data Syringe residues data Wastewater analysis Data catalogue. Selected topics Alternatives to coercive sanctions Cannabis Cannabis policy Cocaine Darknet markets Drug checking Drug consumption facilities Drug markets Drug-related deaths Drug-related infectious diseases. Recently published Findings from a scoping literature…. Penalties at a glance. Frequently asked questions FAQ : drug…. FAQ: therapeutic use of psychedelic…. Viral hepatitis elimination barometer…. EU Drug Market: New psychoactive…. EU Drug Market: Drivers and facilitators. Statistical Bulletin home. Quick links Search news Subscribe newsletter for recent news Subscribe to news releases. On this page. Europe and the global cocaine trade. PDF is being prepared. This make take up to a minute. Once the PDF is ready it will appear in this tab. Sorry, the download of the PDF failed. Last update: 6 May

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