Cross-border drug trafficking cases nearly doubled in four years -EU agency

FILE PHOTO: General view of the Eurojust building in The Hague, Netherlands December 12, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File Photo

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The number of cross-border drug trafficking cases referred to the European agency for prosecutorial cooperation nearly doubled in four years to 562 in 2020, partly driven by a huge increase in the production of synthetic drugs, the agency said.

In a report published on Monday Eurojust said drug trafficking in the European Union alone has an estimated value of 30 billion euros ($36 billion) annually. The rapid rise of production of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines and their sale via online market places on the darknet poses a big challenge to prosecutors across the European Union.