The European Drug Map, established in 2015, highlights the preferences of different European countries for illicit substances. However, since the 2017s, cocaine consumption has experienced a truly historic surge. Once limited to a VIP usage in the 90s, it is now increasingly prevalent, especially among the younger generation.
Record Seizures of Cocaine Since 2017!
According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), cocaine seizures reached unprecedented levels in Europe in 2018, with nearly 181 tonnes intercepted. The price per gram of cocaine varies between €60 and €100 in France, as well as in most European countries, but the drug is increasingly being sold in its pure form.
Authorities are concerned about a resurgence of violence between rival gangs, who are competing fiercely for territory and customers. The use of 2.0 technologies has made the work of law enforcement agents in Europe extremely challenging. Operating on platforms like “Wickr,” “WhatsApp,” and “Telegram,” dealers’ communications are practically impossible to intercept.
Cocaine Immersion: The Local Pizza Hut!
It all starts with a phone number or a Wickr contact. The head of the network, referred to here as the call center, maintains a customer database with marketing operations that showcase the full range of products available. Dealers engage in lucrative transfers of clientele among themselves.
The call center takes orders by asking for the quantity and name of the product, as well as the delivery address. Then, a fleet of about ten cars operates within the specified European city, ready for deliveries. The cars are reloaded, meaning they never transport a large quantity of the product. In case of an arrest, they can easily escape without major consequences.
The customer is served right at their doorstep. This process actually follows the same principles as delivery services like Uber Eats or Pizza Hut.
However, cocaine is increasingly establishing itself. Authorities also fear that trafficking networks may have already infiltrated ports such as Le Havre, and that some laboratories have already been set up in Western Europe.
