Heroin trafficking along the northern and southern routes

Heroin trafficking along the northern and southern routes

In 2017, the total amount of opium produced globally was estimated at 10 500 tonnes, 9 000 tonnes (86%) of which came from Afghanistan. In 2018, 9.9 tonnes of heroin were seized in European Union countries, Türkiye and Norway; in 2025, that number had reduced to 5.4 tonnes. Although seizures are a notoriously unreliable indicator of drug smuggling, this 45% reduction illuminates the downstream impact over time. (GITOC – Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Genf, 09.07.2026)

https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/heroin-trafficking-along-the-northern-and-southern-routes/