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UN drug report for 2023: Albania, among the main countries in the transit of heroin and cocaine

2023-06-29 07:48:53Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
UN drug report for 2023: Albania, among the main countries in the transit of
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Albania is one of the main transit countries for heroin and cocaine trafficking identified by the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) in the latest drug report.

 While the involvement of Albanian-speaking criminal groups in cocaine trafficking in Europe, from 2012 it is estimated that it has significantly increased competition, reduced prices and improved quality, thus influencing the increase in consumption, a trend that became visible after 2015 .

The report published two maps in which Albania is included. In the first map: "The main countries identified as the source and transit of heroin cargoes, based on seizures for the period 2018-2021", Albania is colored pink together with other Balkan countries, as a transit route of heroin trafficking. heroin.

In another map, "Reported Cocaine and Cannabis Trafficking Routes between the Multinational State of Bolivia and Other Countries and Territories, 2010–2022," Albania has direct links to Bolivia for cocaine trafficking. The country is also on other maps, such as that of trafficking from Colombia, but for the latter, the record in Europe is still held by Italy, Belgium and Spain.

According to the report, cocaine (including cocaine-type drugs) produced and transited through the four countries of the Amazon basin is reaching global markets. In total, over 900 drug routes originating from the Amazon basin countries of Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia were reported during 2010-2021.

The report mentions that since 2012, the competition of groups from the Balkans, starting with Albanian-speaking groups, has increased in the direct procurement of cocaine from Latin America, which has increased the competition between traffickers who supply the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, the second largest destination. for drugs. This competition has improved efficiency in supply chains, improved quality and lowered prices, influencing consumption growth, the report states.

Both supply and demand for cocaine are increasing, new markets are being fostered

The report states that the world is currently experiencing a steady increase in the supply and demand for cocaine, which is now being felt across the globe. This is likely to encourage the development of new markets beyond traditional boundaries.

The current global cocaine market is the result of a combination of demand and supply factors. On the supply side, cocaine crop cultivation covered 315,500 ha in 2021, representing a notable increase from 2020, and total cocaine production reached 2,304 tons, which was the seventh consecutive annual increase. Both are record highs.

On the demand side, the population of cocaine users, estimated at 22 million in 2021, has grown gradually but steadily, driven by global population growth.

The criminal actors involved, including both those at the source and those orchestrating trafficking in destination markets, have diversified in line with the dynamics of competition, specialization and cooperation, ultimately leading to more efficient supply chains, particularly in Europe. West and Central, a region which in recent years offered room for growth and strong incentives for traffickers. Developments in actors, routes and modalities allowed supply to match demand, with an apparent turning point around 2015, after the decline in the period between 2006 and 2014.

Although the global cocaine market continues to be concentrated in the Americas and Western and Central Europe (with very high prevalence in Australia as well), in relative terms it appears that the fastest growth, albeit from a low base, is taking place in developing markets in Africa, Asia and Southeast Europe, the report points out.

According to the report, drug use continues to be high worldwide. In 2021, 1 in 17 people aged 15-64 worldwide had used a drug in the past 12 months. The estimated number of users increased from 240 million in 2011 to 296 million in 2021 (5.8 percent of the global population aged 15-64). This is a 23 percent increase, due in part to population growth.

Cannabis continues to be the most widely used drug, with an estimated 219 million users (4.3 percent of the global adult population) in 2021. Drug use is increasing, and although cannabis users globally are predominantly male (around 70 percent), the divide gender is decreasing in some subregions; women make up 42 percent of cannabis users in North America.

It is estimated that in 2021, 36 million people had used amphetamine, 22 million had used cocaine, and 20 million had used "ecstasy"-type substances in the previous year.

The percentage of female users is higher in the case of amphetamine-type stimulants (45 percent of users are women) and non-medical use of pharmaceutical products (between 45 and 49 percent of users are women), while the highest proportion of men found in opiate users (75 percent) and cocaine users (73 percent), according to the report.

Opioids continue to be the group of substances with the highest contribution to serious drug-related harm, including fatal overdoses. About 60 million people were involved in non-medical use of opioids in 2021, 31.5 million of whom used opiates (mainly heroin)./MONITOR


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