Cocaine-swamped Europe is now an export hub for the drug

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EUROPEAN countries are so saturated with cocaine that the region has become a hub for exporting the drug to markets such as Australia, Turkey and Russia, according to new data.

Record production levels of the drug in South America and new smuggling routes into the Continent mean Europe is now a transit area for cocaine export.

The phenomenon is outlined in Europol analysis of the drug market, and comes after Spain seized a submarine carrying cocaine from Colombia in a European first this week. New trafficking routes are also being developed through war-torn West African states.

Les Fiander, one of the authors of the EU’s 2019 Drugs Market Report, said there were a number of reasons why South American production has soared in recent years. “Organised crime groups have been able to expand their production because authorities in source countries are not able to use any more pesticides to fight it.”

Another factor is changes in Colombia, sparked by the ongoing peace process, with coca farmers looking to make quick money.

The report says Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain remain leading entry points and distribution hubs for cocaine in operations that are more sophisticated and harder to detect.

The report estimates Europe’s drugs trade to be worth €30billion (£25.5billion). Cannabis, accounting for 39 per cent of the market, is the most consumed illicit drug followed by cocaine at 31 per cent. Four million European citizens have used the drug this year.

Last week’s submarine was carrying three tons of cocaine valued at €100million when it was detained off the north-west coast of Spain. The drug was destined for the British market.

West and North Africa appear to be emerging as a more significant transit point for air and maritime shipments of cocaine destined for Europe. Heroin production, mainly in Afghanistan, is also on the rise, with knock-on effects for Europe over the coming years.

The report also highlighted how the illicit drug industry in Europe is increasingly contaminating river water, drinking water and waste water.

The adverse effects of leaking acidic chemicals are now more widespread and no longer an issue limited to local governments. Compounding the problem is the array of chemical substances used to produce synthetic drugs, much of which ends up being dumped.