Experts worried by rise of cocaine processing in Europe

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Officials in charge of fighting and monitoring drugs use in the European Union are warning that records amounts of cocaine are being seized and manufacture of the drug is now taking place inside the the bloc. More than 214 tons of cocaine were seized in Europe in 2020, a 6% increase from previous years, and experts from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction believe that amount could reach 300 tons in 2022. The expanding of the cocaine market also saw a rise in violence and corruption in the EU, with fierce competition between traffickers leading to a rise in homicides and intimidation.