Germany Reports Rise in Drug-Related Crimes and Deaths
Devices used for drug consumption. Photo: X/ @WorldCrimeIntel
June 27, 2024 Hour: 7:45 am
In 2023, almost 347,000 drug-related offenses were recorded, 1.8 percent more than in the previous year.
On Wednesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) released a report showing that Germany has seen an increase in drug-related crime in 2023, with figures for trafficking, consumption, and deaths all rising.
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A total of almost 347,000 drug-related offenses were recorded, 1.8 percent more than in the previous year, according to the report. Consumption rose by 1 percent and trafficking by as much as 6 percent.
Trafficking of hard and soft drugs via social media is on the rise, with increasing availability for young people, according to BKA. The number of drug-related deaths in Germany has risen continuously in recent years and reached 2,227 in 2023.
“An effective fight against internationally organized drug-related crime requires a holistic approach,” said BKA vice president Martina Link in a statement, adding that state institutions, law enforcement authorities, and the private sector “must pull together.”
Cannabis, which was recently partially legalized in Germany, remained the drug with the most offenses in 2023, accounting for two-thirds of all cases. A total of around 24.6 tonnes of the drugs marijuana and hashish which are produced from the plant were seized.
Europe’s North Sea ports “have become the most important gateways for the import of narcotics,” Link said. “Increasing escalation of violence, particularly in the Netherlands and Belgium, shows us the many dangers this poses to the state and society,” she warned.
To curb the import of drugs by sea, the European Union established a port alliance at the beginning of the year. “We want to achieve tougher and internationally coordinated action against trafficking in cocaine and other drugs,” said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in January.
Autor: teleSUR/ JF
Fuente: Xinhua
