Overall, of the four major modes of transport used for drug trafficking – by land, water, air and mail (including courier services) – land or maritime routes (depending on the specific drug) dominate in terms of volume.

• Around 2024, there appeared to be an increased preference for smaller shipments of cocaine, perceptible throughout the supply chain – from shipments of cocaine base in the Americas to seizures of cocaine salt in Europe.
• Most cases of trafficking by air are detected on commercial passenger flights; hence, seizures of consignments trafficked by air most frequently amount to around 1 kg. Consignments trafficked by land and by sea can be much larger.
• In recent years, Europe appears to have experienced an increase in heroin trafficking by sea, while the share of recorded heroin seizures from land-based modes of transport has increased in the Americas. With respect to cocaine, when seized in base form – predominantly in South America - this was, until recently, primarily during land transport (aside from quantities held in storage) – likely reflecting localized movements to processing facilities within production areas. In the case of cocaine salts, the share seized in the Americas on land routes appears to have grown, possibly a reflection of a gradual shift towards interdiction closer to the source.