Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Drug Abuse in Western Europe
SEIZURES
AUSTRIA
A total of 1,990 seizures were made in Austria in 1990, of which cannabis type drugs (320.5 kg), heroin (72.4 kg), cocaine (41.2 kg), raw opium (7.8 kg) and poppy straw (7.5 kg). Minor quantities of LSD, amphetamines and various medical drugs were also seized (Austria 1991).
BELGIUM
Most seizures made in Belgium involve cannabis (more than 6,000 kilos in 1991), followed by heroin (1,732 seizures, 186 kg), cocaine (513 seizures, total 756 kg) hallucinogens (455 seizures, 2,454 kg, 75,812 units) and depressants (120 seizures, 0.54 kg, 1,020 units). Other drugs seized were LSD (2,417 units), synthetic narcotics, opium and morphine (U.N. 1991).
FRANCE
The number of drug traffickers arrested in 1990 increased by 10 per cent from the previous years, but the quantities of drugs seized went up significantly (1,844 kg of cocaine, up 50 per cent from 1989, heroin (405 kgs, up 37 per cent) and cannabis (21,289 kg, up 76 per cent from 1989) considerably increased since 1989. Quantities of opium seized and morphine remain low (4.979 kg and 0.855 kg respectively) (see table 2) (Statistiques 1990).
Table 2 Seizures of illicit drugs 1984 to 1986
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1984 1985 1986
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Opium (Kg) 4.766 4.661 5.142
Morphine base (kg) 5.200
Morphine (kg) 5.015 0.386 0.003
Heroin (kg) 208.756 277.586 219.509
Cocaine (kg) 122.436 95.960 257.509
LSD (doses) 28,389 1,1088 11,258
Cannabis herb
(kg) 9,041.839 2,725.900 1,282.394
Cannabis resin
(kg) 22,380.533 5,508.052 12,477.940
Cannabis oil
(kg) 53.510 13.862 16.397
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Table 2 (contd....) Seizures of illicit drugs 1987 to 1988
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1987 1988
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Opium (Kg) 3.191 2.378
Morphine base (kg) 8.000
Morphine (kg) 0.062 0.122
Heroin (kg) 213.374 221.207
Cocaine (kg) 754.090 592.797
LSD (doses) 13,766 7,350
Cannabis herb
(kg) 1,035.886 6,222.211
Cannabis resin
(kg) 11,566.386 18,185.481
Cannabis oil
(kg) 10.981 17.123
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Table 2 (contd....) Seizures of illicit drugs 1989 to 1990
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1989 1990
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Opium (Kg) 3.758 4.979
Morphine base (kg)
Morphine (kg) 0.548 0.855
Heroin (kg) 295.424 405.156
Cocaine (kg) 938.670 1,844.606
LSD (doses) 12,124 30,669
Cannabis herb
(kg) 1,628.155 453.761
Cannabis resin
(kg) 16,204.298 21,289.253
Cannabis oil
(kg) 19.431 10.564
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Source: Statistiques 1990.
GERMANY
In 1990, 4,655 kg of cannabis resin and 8,985 kg herbal cannabis were seized (11,641 kg and 432 kg respectively in 1989). Heroin seizures increased to 847 kg (727 kg in 1989) and cocaine seizures totaled 2,474 kg (1,406 kg in 1989). Other reported seizures in 1990 were 44 kg opium (25 kg in 1989), 85 kg amphetamine (67 kg in 1989) and 14,332 LSD doses (10,574 in 1989) (U.N. 1990).
LUXEMBOURG
Cannabis and heroin seizures exceed by far cocaine seizures (see table 1 for details). In addition 2 seizures totaling 0.053 kg of stimulants were reported for 1991 (U.N. 1991). Heroin seizures in 1990 decreased significantly in comparison to 1989, whereas the quantity of cocaine seized is constantly increasing.
Table 1. Number of illicit drug seizures and quantities seized in 1990.
Illicit drugs Number of Quantity seized
seizures
1990 1991 1990 1991
Heroin 133 175 0.527 kg 9.988 kg
Coca leaves 4 1 0.090 kg 0.200 kg
Coca paste 1 - 1.000 kg -
Cocaine 32 67 23.260 kg 14.200 kg
Cannabis herb 46 85 18.750 kg 1.040 kg
Cannabis resin 147 205 13.750 kg 22.568 kg
LSD 1 2 2.000 units 2,651 units
Morphine 1 - 0.460 kg -
Methadone 1 - 0.565 kg -
Sources: National Report of Luxembourg to the First Pan-European Conference on the co-operation in Drug abuse Problems, Oslo, 9-10 May 1991 for 1990 data and Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1991.
NETHERLANDS
Cocaine seizures increased significantly between 1988 (517 kg) and 1991 (2,492 kg), in spite of some fluctuation. Heroin seizures remained stable for the same period. Cannabis seizures increased from 60 tonnes in 1988 to 96 tonnes in 1991. Amphetamine seizures have almost tripled since 1990 (about 500 kg per year) (see table 2). Police efforts led to the detection of clandestine amphetamine laboratories in 1990 and to the dismantling of manufacturing and exportation organizations (Ministry of Welfare et al. 1991).
Table 2. Type and amounts of seized drugs in the Netherlands from 1988 to 1991.
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1988 1989 1990 1991
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Heroin (kg) 510 492 532 406
Cocaine (kg) 517 1,425 4,288 2,492
Amphetamines
(kg) 53 65 47 128
LSD (dosages) 468 8,075 5,146 1,630
MDMA (kg) - 0.750 0.322 0.700
and and
930,000 48 tablets
tablets
Cannabis (kg) 68,238 42,315 109,762 96,292
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Source: National Criminal Intelligence Service for 1988 to 1990; for 1991,
Country report of the Netherlands to the Meeting of Heads of National Narcotics Bureaus, Lyon, May 1992.
SAN MARINO
Most seizures in 1991 relate to cannabis type drugs (22 plants, 0.166 kg resin), followed by cocaine (0.007 kg) and heroin (0.002 kg) and hallucinogens (5 units) (U.N. 1991).
SWITZERLAND
Cannabis makes up the bulk of drugs seized in Switzerland (almost 2.5 tonnes in 1992), followed by cocaine (329.9 kg in 1992), heroin (243.3 kg in 1992), amphetamines (1 kg in 1992) and LSD (902 units in 1992) (see table 4 for 1986 to 1992 seizures) (Police 1990, 1991, 1992).
Table 4. Seizures of illicit drugs 1986 to 1992.
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Year Heroin Cannabis Cocaine Amphetamine LSD
(kg) (kg) (kg) (kg) (doses)
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1986 81.6 377.8 101.9 0 933
1987 69.9 597.4 112.9 0.024 5,290
1988 42.9 1,230 226.1 0.726 1,705
1989 50.4 883.2 306.1 0.353 1,492
1990 186.2 513.8 339.3 14.8 2,207
1991 81 838.2 333.4 0.025 752
1992 243.3 2,434.8 329.9 1 902
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Source: Statistique Suisse des Stupיfiants, 1990, 1991 and 1992, Ministטre Public de la Confederation, Bureau Central Suisse de la Police.