According to a new report, global cocaine production has reached record levels as demand recovers following Covid lockdowns.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported that between 2020 and 2021, coca cultivation increased by 35% to record levels.
The findings indicate the emergence of new trafficking centers in West and Central Africa.
The report also indicated that drug traffickers were increasingly utilizing international postal services to deliver narcotics to consumers.
The largest markets for cocaine are Europe and North America, followed by South and Central America and the Caribbean.
While the report stated that the markets in Africa and Asia were “still limited,” Ghada Waly of the United Nations stated that the expansion of these markets was a perilous possibility.
According to the Global Report on Cocaine, the production increase was the result of an expansion in coca bush cultivation as well as advances in the conversion of coca into cocaine powder.
According to the report, the Covid-19 outbreak had a “disruptive” effect on drug markets as international travel was significantly curtailed.
As nightclubs and bars were shut down during the pandemic lockdowns, cocaine demand decreased.
The report states, “However, the most recent data indicate that this decline has had little effect on longer-term trends.” The global cocaine supply is at record levels.
In the UK, “fast parcel and postal modes” have seen a “significant increase” in cocaine seizures.
The report indicates that law enforcement interceptions have increased at a faster rate than production.
In response to the report, Angela Me, the UN’s coordinator of research and trend, stated that the cocaine supply in South America has increased as criminal groups have seized control of areas previously controlled by Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. (Farc).
According to her, this has resulted in competition among groups, including some foreign organizations, which has boosted production.
