Drug-related crime - BKA: Record amount of cocaine seized in 2023
Hundreds of thousands of secured drug offenses, more drug-related deaths and more crimes: German investigators recorded over 346,000 drug-related offenses in Germany last year. The number of offenses increased by 1.8 percent compared to the previous year, as the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) announced in Wiesbaden on a Wednesday. There was an increase in both consumption and trade.
Record quantities of drugs seized
The increase was particularly noticeable in offenses involving cocaine (27.4 percent). This represents a new record. Over 43 tons of this drug were secured in 2023, more than double the amount in the previous year. Perpetrators showed an increasing tendency towards violence.
Cannabis offenses accounted for roughly two-thirds of all recorded offenses. Around 20.9 tons of marijuana and 3.7 tons of hashish were secured. In addition to smuggling from abroad, cannabis is also illegally cultivated in Germany in large plantations. Over 450 such plantations with a cultivation capacity of over 20 plants were raided, of which 37 were professional plantations with over 1000 plants.
Large quantities of synthetic drugs were also secured by the BKA: almost 2000 kilograms of amphetamine, over 1.1 million Ecstasy tablets, and over 450 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Mixed consumption as cause of death
According to the BKA, there has been a steady increase in drug-related deaths since 2017. In the previous year, 2227 people died as a result of their addiction, almost twelve percent more than in the previous year. More and more drug addicts were taking multiple drugs and the number of deaths from mixed consumption also increased significantly in the previous year. In 2023, 1479 people died from such consumption, 34 percent more than in the previous year.
Trade increasingly over messaging services
The drug trade is often initiated through publicly accessible chat groups, and later moved to private chats for sales discussions. Social media platforms have also established themselves as trading forums, primarily used by young people. According to the report, these person groups are easily and comprehensively exposed to professionally presented drug offers without actively searching for drugs.
Ports of Entry
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) demanded that ports be made safer. "This includes intensive controls, high vigilance, and effective corruption prevention in the ports," she stated on a Wednesday. The cocaine flood to Europe destroys lives - and generates billions in profits for cartels. BKA Vice President Martina Link also sees a problem with the ports. "It is particularly important to intensify cooperation with Latin American countries and improve port security in Europe," she said. According to the assessment of the drug commissioner of the German government, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), the situation must be taken seriously. "More and more heavily drug-addicted people, more drug-related deaths, more cocaine seizures in the Hamburg port, and more raided illegal drug labs," he told the German Press Agency. We must be extremely vigilant about how the drug situation develops.
292 million drug consumers worldwide
According to the UN Drug Report of the UNODC from Wednesday, worldwide, 292 million people use drugs, which is 20% more than a decade ago. The largest part of consumers - 228 million - use Cannabis. In the UN Drug Report, the legalization in Germany was mentioned but not evaluated. However, the UNODC pointed out that approximately 41% of all drug addiction cases worldwide can be attributed to Cannabis. The substance is the reason for 20% of drug therapies in Europe.
- In Wiesbaden, the BKA announced a significant increase in drug-related offenses in Germany, with over 346,000 recorded in 2023, a rise of 1.8 percent compared to the previous year.
- The increase was particularly notable in offenses involving cocaine, which represented a new record, with over 43 tons of the drug seized.
- Cannabis offenses accounted for roughly two-thirds of all recorded offenses, with around 20.9 tons of marijuana and 3.7 tons of hashish secured.
- The BKA also secured large quantities of synthetic drugs, including almost 2000 kilograms of amphetamine, over 1.1 million Ecstasy tablets, and over 450 kilograms of methamphetamine.
- There has been a steady increase in drug-related deaths since 2017, with 2227 deaths in the previous year, and more and more drug addicts taking multiple drugs, leading to a significant increase in deaths from mixed consumption.
- The drug trade is increasingly moving to private chats and social media platforms, with drug offers easily accessible to young people.
- Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser demands that ports be made safer, citing the cocaine flood to Europe as a major problem, and calling for increased cooperation with Latin American countries and improved port security in Europe.
