Opium production and opiate seizures are closely linked, but stockpiling has partly mitigated recent supply shocks.Opiate seizures have generally moved in parallel with opium production over time, but production has been far more volatile. Following the transfer of power in Afghanistan in 2021 and…
Opium prices show diverging trends, reflecting shifting supply dynamics across producing countries.Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar, increased by 17 per cent in 2025 and more than doubled since 2020, with increases reported across all poppy producing states; this was mirrored by a similar…
Amphetamine seizures rose strongly until 2020-2021, declined thereafter and showed a modest rebound in 2024.Amphetamine seizures remain concentrated in the Near and Middle East (57 per cent of total seizures between 2020 and 2024) and Europe (26 per cent); in the former subregion much of the drug…
Cannabis continues to be the most widely produced, trafficked and consumed drug worldwide in 2024. As in previous years, seizures of cannabis herb exceeded those of cannabis resin.
Seizures of amphetamine-type substances (ATS) in Europe are rising, with methamphetamine increasingly overtaking amphetamine.Seizures of ATS have increased strongly in Europe over the last decade, with growth reported for methamphetamine, amphetamine, “ecstasy” and non-specified and other ATS (…
Trend data on seizures suggest that the trafficking in (and misuse of) pharmaceutical opioids increased strongly over the last decade, reaching record levels in 2024.The largest volumes of pharmaceutical opioids were seized in Africa (60 per cent – mostly in West and Central Africa) and Asia (33…
While remaining at low levels in recent years, seizures of plant-based NPS are increasingly dominated by kratom, followed by khat.In contrast to the upward trend in seizures of synthetic NPS, seizures of plants-based drugs fluctuated while remaining at low levels over the 2021-2024 period. Overall…
Seizures of synthetic NPS have trended upwards since 2018 – though they still remain below the peak reported in 2012.The number of countries reporting seizures of synthetic NPS rose from, on average, just 5 over the period 2000-2004 to 80 over the period 2010-2014, before peaking over the period…
Coca bush cultivation and potential cocaine manufacture reached record highs in 2024The global area under coca cultivation reached a record 385,100 hectares in 2024 – almost triple the 2014 level – while global illicit cocaine manufacture reached 4,100 tons (range: 3,800-4,700 tons) in 2024, more…
The weight of cocaine seizures increased by 70 per cent between 2020 and 2024, reflecting an ongoing expansion of both the supply and demand for cocaine at the global level.
Seizures of opiates, expressed in heroin equivalents, fell by 65 per…
The dark web, consisting of a multitude of darknet markets, is part of the deep web, and can be used for a large number of illegal activities, including drug trafficking.The dark web is part of the deep web and can be accessed using specialized tools such as the TOR browser; while access itself is…
