“Today, The illicit drug market is becoming more unpredictableDriven by the impact of synthetic drugs, ”Ghada Wally, Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (Unodc), he saidaddressing the opening of the last session of the drug commission drugs in Vienna.
“Trafficking routes pass through war zones and aspiring law, from Haiti to the uprising and the golden triangle, feeding instability.”
Tracking the global trade of illicit drugs
With more than 2,000 participants and 179 parallel events, the committee session takes place from March 10 to 14, with experts from around the world taking a balance of narcotic drug trade while countries deal with deadly opioid tides as a fentanyl, and highlight gains obtained through joint operations.
For its part, UNODC supports more than 180 border control units in 87 countries to intercept drug flows. In 2024, unacvivered seizures included 300 tons of cocaine, 240 tons of synthetic drugs and 100 tons of precursors.
“We are facilitating backward investigations, bringing together police agencies and promoters from countries of origin, traffic and destination,” explained Whaly.
Watch the opening session here:
A new black market
She also warned about emerging threats. Technology is transforming and speeding radically how medicines are sold and distributedWith the dark web created a “new black market” for synthetic drugs and precursors, said Whaly.
“Cryptocurrencies allow traffickers to move unlawful illicit profitsAnd social media platforms have become the main channels to promote and advertise on -line medicines, especially aiming at young people and vulnerable users, ”she said.
She also warned that drug trafficking networks are capitalizing on these changes to expand their reach.
Chasing the most urgent threat
One of the biggest threats is synthetic drugs, she said. Synthetic manufacturing laboratories are being discovered in new countries and regions. In fact, more than 1,300 distinct psychoactive substances have been reported to the UNODC so far.
At the same time, amphetamine stimulants and pharmaceutical opioids are recording record seizures. Nitazine class synthetic opioids are increasing, with 26 different substances reported to Unodc so far, he added.
“Synthetic drugs have become one of the most urgent and illusory challenges of drugs we faceWhaly said. “They are evolving every day, expanding and growing in power.”
Clandestine laboratories
Clandestine production laboratories are emerging in parts of the world usually do not know that they produce synthetic medications, Whaly said.
Methods for manufacturing medicines and traffic means are constantly evolving. Now the internet is growing as a drug market and a platform to exchange knowledge about how to manufacture them.
Unlike plant -based substances, synthetic medications can be made quickly, at a low cost, almost anywhere in the world. They can also be moved by bulk borders, usually hidden in legitimate exports or in such great quantities that individual seizures “barely harm,” said Whaly.
“Simplifying, they are harder to identify, intercept and interruptShe added.
A drug seizure operation in South Africa.
Feeding instability
The whole region suffered from the spread of synthetic medicines, she said, citing several examples:
In the Middle East and Africa, Captagon trade – a highly popular battlefield stimulant – has fueled instability, with production and smuggling now deeply intertwined with conflicts, Whaly said.
In Iraq, the drug seizures rose more than 3,300 % between 2019 and 2023, with the authorities taking advantage of 4.1 tons in a single year.
Big stocks were discovered in Syria, she said, adding that the situation after the Fall of Assad requires monitoring and attention.
In southeastern Asia, authorities seized a 190 tons of methamphetamine in 2023 with criminal networks exploring the region’s porous borders to move its product. Methamphetamine products are often found in heroin, vapes and counterfeit tablets and can be even more powerful than fentanil.
The Narcotic Drug Commission was established by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) In 1946 to help supervise the application of international drug control treaties. Learn more about the Commission here.
