Record-breaking seizures of cocaine are now the norm across the world, according to analysis by the InSight Crime think tank – ‘yet these multi-ton interdictions likely made only a small dent in what has become one of the most lucrative and violent industries for Latin American organized crime’, it says.
Seizures are at record levels in both production and transit countries, the organisation states – ‘across the board, cocaine production soared and traffickers explored new markets to profit from their never-before-seen levels of supply.’
Last year, analysis by UNODC found a potential increase in cocaine production in Colombia of more than 50 per cent compared to 2022 levels, the tenth consecutive annual rise, while Europol has repeatedly warned that the extreme violence associated with the cocaine trade was now also ‘taking its toll’ on Europe.
According to the InSight Crime report, cocaine seizures in Peru doubled last year, while Bolivia and Ecuador also saw record-breaking levels of seizures. In El Salvador, meanwhile, seizures increased by more than 600 per cent compared to 2023.
Most cocaine has traditionally arrived in Europe via ports like Antwerp and Rotterdam, with more than 300 tonnes seized across EU member states in 2021 alone. However, increased law enforcement pressure in Belgium and the Netherlands has ‘likely forced traffickers to seek new routes’, says InSight Crime, with Spain strongly repositioning itself as the primary point of entry into Europe – ‘due to its past role as the epicentre of Latin American organized crime in the region.’
InSight Crime 2024 cocaine seizure round-up here