State Office of Criminal Investigation NRW

The quantities of narcotics seized and the number of (large-scale) seizures, particularly of cocaine by customs authorities in Germany, are a cause for concern. A high purity content and consistently stable prices following large-scale seizures are evidence of the high availability of the drugs. The drug reaches Europe via numerous routes, both by sea and by land. Seizures of narcotics are often linked to drug smuggling to and from the Netherlands.

Due to its geographical location, NRW is playing an increasingly important role as a transit country and intermediate storage facility for chemicals destined for drug production in laboratories in the Netherlands. Drug production is thus shifting to the Netherlands and NRW.

Drug trafficking on the internet has now established itself as a fixed distribution channel for drugs in Germany. Drugs offered on the internet and darknet are usually sent to customers by post. The increasing shipment of narcotics by post is the visible consequence of the flourishing online trade in narcotics.