Although the bulk of cocaine seizures in 2002 continued to be in the Americas (55%in South America; 32% in North America), the most disturbing trend is the rise in European seizures (13% v. 6% in 1990 and 8% in 2000). The increase in cocaine trafficking to Europe is mainly due to the saturated and relatively high-risk market of North America and the relatively higher profits available in Europe. The declining trend in cocaine traffic to North America is attributed to effective eradication programs in the source countries and stricter crack-down by the drug enforcers on the cocaine market in the U.S.
Most of the worldwide cocaine traffic is managed by deeply entrenched criminal groups / drug cartels based in Columbia. These organizations use a sophisticated infrastructure to move cocaine by land, sea, and air into the U.S. And to Europe. They also operate cocaine distribution and drug money laundering networks in the U.S. with a vast infrastructure of multiple cells, each performing specific function within the organization, e.g., transportation, local distribution, or money movement.
Opiates (Heroin, Morphine & Opium)
The Golden Triangle (Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos) and South West Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan) have been the leading source of opiate products in the last two decades. Worldwide seizures of opiates increased by 9% in 2002 after having fallen almost 21% in the previous year as reported in the UN World Drug Report, 2004. This increase was mainly due to a significant increase in the large-scale cultivation and processing of poppy in Afghanistan. About 10 years ago, the main opium producers were the Golden Triangle countries but these have been overtaken by the South West Asia (mainly Afghanistan) in opium production and trafficking. This reversal has been due to a successful operation against poppy growing and opium / heroin production in the Golden Triangle countries (production has more than halved in Myanmar and Laos as compared to 1990) while the production in Afghanistan has more than doubled in the same period.
The current trend in opiate trafficking is reflected in the increased seizures in South West Asia (Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan), which rose by 18% over the previous year. Most of the opiate products grown and processed in Afghanistan are routed either through Iran and Pakistan or through Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan with the Central Asian route being preferred for the traffic of heroin and the Iran / Pakistan route catering for opium and morphine.
The heroin and other opiate products produced in Afghanistan are mostly trafficked to Western Europe where the wholesale and retail trade of heroin is mainly controlled by Turkish / Kurdish and Albanian criminal groups. Trafficking of opiates is far less in the Americas with seizures in 2002 representing 6% of the total global seizures. The bulk of opiates and heroin transported to the United States in recent years originates in Mexico and Columbia with smaller quantities originating in South East Asia (the Golden Triangle) and South West Asia (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Columbian and Mexican drug cartels dominate the distribution and retail trade of heroin in the United States.
Amphetamine Type Stimulants (Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, and Amphetamine)
Global trafficking of synthetic drugs, i.e., Amphetamine type stimulants (ats) has increased at a greater rate than other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. This is reflected in the 10-fold increase in the worldwide ats seizures in the period from 1990 to 2000. Although seizures of ats have declined in 2001 and 2002 (as compared to the peak in 2000) they were still six times higher than in 1990, showing a strong market for such drugs.
Out of the three ats drugs, methamphetamine is the dominant drug by far in terms of production, trafficking and consumption (about 80%), followed by Ecstasy (15%) and amphetamine (5%). Most methamphetamine seizures in 2002 were made in the East and South East Asia (87% of all seizures) and North America (13%). Country-wise, the largest methamphetamine seizures in 2002 occurred in Thailand (57%), China (21%), the U.S.A. (7%) and Myanmar (6%). The main source countries for the drug are Myanmar (the major supplier to Thailand), China, and the Philippines for Asia and the United States and Mexico for North America. Trafficking of methamphetamine to Europe is negligible although more than 90% of global amphetamine seizures in 2001/2002 were in Europe. The main source countries for amphetamine are Netherlands, Poland and Belgium.
Trafficking of Ecstasy has shown a clear upward trend in the 1990s. In the early 90s, almost all of Ecstasy seizures were reported from Europe but in recent years the drug has spread globally. In 2002, the bulk of ecstasy seizures occurred in Europe (62%) but were also reported from North America (19%), Oceania (9%) and East/South East Asia (6%). Belgium, Netherlands, the UK, USA, and China are notable among the countries where ecstasy was seized in significant quantities recently. Netherlands is the biggest producer of the drug, but most trafficking of ecstasy from Europe to the U.S. is carried out by Israeli and Dominican criminal groups while Chinese drug traders control in trafficking to China.
Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
Enormous amounts of money are involved in the international drug trade. One estimate puts this in excess of 400...
Drug Trafficking In The United States drug trafficking in the united states "Drag trafficking is an activity that involves the importation, manufacturing, cultivation, distribution, and/or sale of illicit drags. In this hierarchical system, narcotics are moved from smugglers, growers, or manufacturers to wholesalers who pass the product down through the chain of distribution to retailers and eventually to the consumer or drug user" (Desroches, 2007, ¶ 1). Despite the problems inherent in drug abuse promoted by
At present, Al-Qaeda is known to finance its terror operations through drug-trafficking. "[the New York Times reported] that 'militants linked to Al Qaeda also established connections with Bosnian organized crime figures. The officials said Al Qaeda and the Taliban found a route for the trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan into Europe through the Balkans.'... In other words, the CIA knew that Al-Qaeda was involved in heroin-trafficking, but (as is
According to the U.S. Department of Justice there are now 1.5 million individuals in prison facilities in the U.S. For the following types of offenses: Drug Offense 59.6% Robbery 9.8% Property Offenses 5.5% Extortion, Fraud, Bribery 6.8% Violent Offenses 2.7% Firearms, Explosives, Arson 8.6% White Collar 1.0% Immigration 2.8% Courts or Corrections 0.8% National Security 0.1% Continuing Criminal Enterprise 0.8% Miscellaneous 1.5% Source Bureau Justice Statistics online at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ The following table labeled Table 1.0 shows the drug arrested for each year running from 1986 to 2002, the drug categories and the number of arrested in
Wakefield's daughter becomes a powerful character in the film because she proves to her father that the war on drugs fails to address the root cause of addiction. Traffic therefore addresses several separate but interrelated issues: addiction, organized crime, law enforcement and legislation. Addiction is a fact of life; human beings become hooked on any number of legal and illegal substances. Banning drugs is no way to combat addiction. Therefore,
An estimated 275 "metric tons" of cocaine (a metric ton is 90% of a full ton, which is 2,240 pounds) arrive in Mexico each year, ready for transport into the U.S. -- and of those 275 metric tons the authorities average seizing about 36 metric tons. Doing the math quickly that indicates that about 239 metric tons of cocaine arrive in the U.S. annually, according to the GAO figures. As
Drug Wars A Thin, Bloody Line Borders are artificial lines. Even when they follow natural divisions such as rivers or mountain ranges, borders are still artificial. They are imaginary lines that different governments (or other official groups of people) have decided marks the place on the earth where the authority and power of one group ends and the power and authority of the next group begins. Borders are in general a good idea
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