Overview

• BKA President Holger Münch warns of a significant rise in cocaine trafficking as suppliers shift focus to Europe from a saturated North American market.
• Heroin shortages linked to the Taliban's opium cultivation ban in Afghanistan are raising risks of adulteration with synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
• Partial cannabis legalization in Germany has not curbed the black market and complicates policing small-scale transactions, with an evaluation of the law planned for later in 2025.
• The 2024 crime statistics show a 1.7% overall drop in drug-related offenses, but cocaine crimes rose by nearly 5%, alongside increases in LSD and synthetic drug-related offenses.
• Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have intensified port controls to combat drug trafficking through major European seaports, which remain difficult to monitor comprehensively.