Drug trafficking refers to the illegal cultivation, manufacturing, and transportation of drugs by following government regulations. Recently, the UNODC has closely monitored the routes and channels for drug trafficking and their market to have a comprehensive report of how the business is done. Getting this information would help the government and anti-drug bodies mitigate drug trafficking in the entire globe. A group of gangs and criminals around the world consider drug trafficking as their primary source of income. Drug traffickers also use the revenue to engage in other illegal businesses selling unlicensed firearms and modern slavery and immigration crimes.
Statistics and issue associated with drug trafficking
An estimate of 240 million individuals in the entire globe are drug users, and about 16-20 million users are drug dependent or drug addicts. Cannabis sativa is the most commonly used and abused drug, and the report indicates that four out of five users use the drug. In contrast, the rest of the addicts use various drugs such as opium, cocaine, and heroin. Every drug has its system of production, trafficking, and distribution. For instance, Cannabis is most often produced in many countries and therefore increased rates of international trafficking in targeted areas (Giommoni et al., 2020). The biggest Morocco constitutes the top producers among the countries producing and exporting exports Cannabis into the European market and Afghanistan. In countries such as Europe and North American, the drug is locally produced and consumed, unlike other drugs like heroin (Giommoni et al., 2020). On the other hand, a drug like cocaine is obtained from coca leaves grown mainly in Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru. Although the crop cultivation is significantly decreasing over the last five years, resulting in fluctuation in drug trafficking practices the entire globe.
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Origin of the drug and Targeted Markets
Drugs exist in many forms, and therefore, the various region across the world favor the plantation of different drugs. For instance, a place like West Africa and south American constitutes the largest producers of the cocaine plantation. These countries are also responsible for manufacturing the drug and transportation in various mark destinations across the globe. On the other hand, Sativa and opium are grown in multiple regions of the world like Turkey and Asia and exporting them to Europe and America Markets. The crop production is ever fluctuating, with some areas experiencing increased production while other parts report a sharp decline in plantation and manufacturing. With improved surveillance systems and the introduction of government rules and strict UN regulations, it's increasingly becoming challenging for drug dealers to export and transport their products to different market destinations across the world.
Routes and Porterage used by drug traffickers
Most of the drugs originating from outsides the continent and overseas from other nations arrive at the market in various forms using various routes. The porterage and carriage system includes shipping containers using light air crafts and airline passenger cargo planes. Drug trafficker uses vulnerable individual at times referred to as mules to facilitate the entry of their product in the country and into the respective market destination. They also pay a lot of money at the border of various countries to avoid interference with their trafficking activities. The involvement of government officials in drug dealing activities poses a threat to the nations. It weakens the integrity of the respective border points, running the risk of other criminal activities.
Impact of drug trafficking in the affected areas
Drug trafficking is associated with various threats, especially the addicted users and traffickers conducting business along the streets. Several deaths, that is, two million cases of fatalities, are associated with the misuse of the drug across the globe. Although drugs in countries like Afghanistan are ever-increasing, the drug's dangers are alarming. The increased sales of drugs along the streets due to a decline in prices have propelled the increased level of criminal activities since the drug's demands are ever-picking. The international group of drug traffickers is involved in various criminal activities, such as buying illegal arms using profits from drug selling (Holzscheiter et al., 2021). The crime engaged in drug trafficking to generate more revenue to fund and facilitate terrorism activities, exploiting young and vulnerable people in the society (Holzscheiter et al., 2021). Urban street peddlers play the critical role of distributing drugs in many varieties, such as type A of drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Drug traffickers have formulated complex channels of distributing drugs, and they mainly use children and mobile to facilitate its transit and distribution to targeted destinations. Their central market for importing and drug tracking activities has cases associated with violence.
International drug trafficking has various potential risks not only to the producing countries but to the consumers and target market as well. Countries associated with drug trafficking suffer economically, health-wise, and mentally as well. Drug trafficking would result in corruption at the border point, denying the countries revenue that should have been used to develop the infrastructure and build other sectors of the economy. Also, the regions associated with drug trafficking suffer significantly from the violence and insecurity threats. Insecurity cases result in tension among the investors, especially in developing countries, and can always chase the investors. Also, the tourism industry is affected because tourism fears war tendencies and the majority will not dare visit certain countries however much the place is endowed with the resources. These factors will all result to slow progress in terms of economic growth. Also, the countries associated with criminal activities like selling drugs have recorded the highest number of deaths from drug addiction and drug misuse.
Viable solution to end international drug trafficking activities
To end the drug trafficking activities across the globe calls for various initiatives, like countries working hand in hand with UNODC, to tackle the issue upstream. Especially those from affected nations, citizens, should work hand in hand with the secret intelligence to sharpen their response to threats and stop drug trafficking activities (Manukhin, 2020). An organization such as UNODC should strategize on the health action plan and road map to combat drug trafficking. Such initiatives include providing training sessions to the citizens, giving them tactical guidance, and equipping them with enough resources to build their capacity to be proactive when dealing with such threats and drug dealing activities.
International bodies should also partner with various nations at the marine border points, especially in countries like the Caribbean, West African, and Belgium. Partners in transit countries will help encounter the shipment and stop the victims from entering drug dealing countries' border points. Countries should also form the task force to work with government authorities in conducting the operation in marine areas to help grab large quantities of drugs from drug dealers. Countries should also take initiatives of inspecting the borderlines threats and focusing on the various law operational responses (Manukhin, 2020). Because drug trafficking results in other forms of criminal cases, it is essential to allow the secret agent to give information associated with drug trafficking and other forms of criminal involvement. The data also enables the government to rescue crimes such as modern slavery and various cases of human abuses such as child sexual exploitations etc.
References
Giommoni, L., Gundur, R. V., & Cheekes, E. (2020). International Drug Trafficking: Past, Present, and Prospective Trends. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice . https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.470
Holzscheiter, A., Gholiagha, S., & Liese, A. (2021). Advocacy Coalition Constellations and Norm Collisions: Insights from International Drug Control, Human Trafficking, and Child Labour. Global Society , 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2021.1885352
Manukhin, A. (2020). The U.S. approach to cooperation with Colombia and Mexico on the issue of countering drug-trafficking. Latinskaia Amerika , (12), 6. https://doi.org/10.31857/s0044748x0012274-0
