summary report on eu drug precursors seizures 2008

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL TAXATION AND CUSTOMS

UNION

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY

Summary Report on EU Drug Precursors Seizures 2008

1

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FOREWORD Illicit drugs remain a major concern for European Citizens as they

continue to be a serious threat to the security and health. Illicit drug

producers need chemicals called "precursors" to manufacture drugs such

as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines. In other words, there is no

production of illicit drugs without drug precursors.

The drug precursors have wide legitimate uses (e.g. in the synthesis of

plastics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfumes, detergents, or aromas),

but can be diverted from the licit distribution channels for the illicit

manufacturing of extremely dangerous drugs. Therefore, controlling drug

precursors is essential to prevent the diversion and misuse of these

substances.

By enforcing the EU drug precursor legislation1, the EU strives to ensure

that diversion of drug precursors is prevented through control and

monitoring of their legitimate trade. This involves not only close co-

operation between the respective national competent authorities (notably

Health, Police and Customs) but also close co-operation with the private

sector and third countries.

The EU drug precursor legislation requires a systematic reporting from

Member States on seizures and stopped shipments of drug precursors.

This allows identifying the evolution of trends in drug precursors

trafficking and diversion. Despite the efforts made, traffickers keep

1 Council Regulation (EC) No 111/2005; Regulation (EC) No 273/2004; Commission Regulation (EC) No 1277/2005.

2

finding new diversion patterns, and the diversion routes are changing

rapidly.

This summary report provides a brief overview of the seizures and

stopped shipments of drug precursors made by EU Member States in

2008, while implementing the EU legislation.

Walter Deffaa Heinz Zourek Director General Director General Directorate - General Directorate - General Taxation and Customs Union Enterprise and Industry

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS Main findings in 2008 5

Graph: Quantities of the most sensitive drug precursors seized or

stopped

8

Graph: Quantities of other drug precursors seized or stopped 8

Graph: Number of seizures and stopped shipments of the most

sensitive drug precursors

9

Graph: Number of seizures and stopped shipments of other drug

precursors

9

Graph: Comparison of 2006-2007-2008 seizures and stopped

shipments of the most sensitive drug precursors

10

Graph: Comparison of 2006-2007-2008 seizures and stopped

shipments of other drug precursors

10

Key precursors: Examples of trafficking methods

11

Production of heroin 14

Production of cocaine 15

Production of methamphetamine and amphetamine 16

4

MAIN FINDINGS IN 2008

In 2008 the EU Member States reported 473 cases of seizures and

stopped shipments of drug precursors and recorded a tremendous

increase in the overall quantity of drug precursors seized or stopped from

78 304 (kg/l) in 2007 to 270 754 (kg/l) in 2008.

44 cases of acetic anhydride (used in a wide range of chemical

manufacturing processes, including medicinal products, but also

the main heroin precursor) with nearly 241 tons seized or

stopped, which is about 7 times higher than in 2007, and which

represents more than 75% of the world's seizures.

(Quantity needed to obtain 1kg of heroin is 1 to 4 Litres.)

No cases reported in 2008 of 3, 4- Methylenedioxy-

phenylpropan-2-one, also referred to as "PMK" (used in the

production of perfume components, but also used in the illegal

manufacture of ecstasy). In the previous years, the number of

cases of PMK tended to decline and in 2008 it went down to nil.

(Quantity needed to obtain 1kg of MDMA is about 1.25 Litres.)

2 cases of safrole (normally used in perfumery and food

flavourings while illegally used in the manufacture of different

forms of ecstasy). 1901 litres were stopped or seized in 2008.

The quantities sharply increased in comparison to 2007 when

8. 31 litres were seized or stopped. The increase for safrole could

correlate with the decrease for PMK as they are both precursors

for the illicit production of ecstasy.

5

The number of seizures and stopped shipments of ephedrine

and pseudo-ephedrine in raw and tablet form (pharmaceutical

preparations/medicines) decreased, but the 2008 figures show a

continued risk of diversion and misuse of these substances.

2 cases of phenylacetic acid (normally used for synthesis of

penicillin, perfume products and cleaning solutions, but also used

in the illegal manufacture of amphetamine and

methamphetamine). There was a considerable increase in

quantity from 50 kg in 2007 to 153.25 kg. It appears that

phenylacetic acid is increasingly used in the alternative

production method of methamphetamine.

(Quantity needed to obtain 1kg of amphetamine or

methamphetamine is about 4kg.)

148 cases of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) (widely used in

industry as solvent in the production of paints, vitamins and

medicines, but also a precursor of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid

(GHB), a psychoactive compound misused for drug assisted

sexual assaults). 2263 litres of GBL were seized or stopped.

6

The graphs on the following pages provide an illustration of quantities

and numbers of seized or stopped substances in 2008. The final graphs

provide a comparison of the findings over the last three years (2006-

2007-2008).

For further information: Caroline Edery E-mail: [email protected]

Klaus Berend E-mail: [email protected]

Suzanne Stauffer E-mail: [email protected]

Claire Scharf-Kroener E-mail: [email protected]

Marketa Jackova E-mail: [email protected]

Anne Gautrais-Le Goff E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/drugs_precursors/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/precursors/index_en.htm

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mailto:[email protected]







http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/drugs_precursors/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/precursors/index_en.htm

Quantities of the most sensitive drug precursors seized or stopped

240963

2029 1901 1118 1017 816 629 508 153 4 3 00

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

Acetic

anh

ydrid

e

Potas

sium

per

man

gana

te

Safro

le

Ephed

rine

raw m

ater

ial

Prepa

ratio

ns P

seud

oeph

edrin

e (K

g)

Prepa

ratio

ns E

phed

rine

( Kg)

1-Phe

nyl-2

-pro

pano

ne (B

MK)

Pseud

oeph

edrin

e ra

w mat

erial

Pheny

lace

tic a

cid

Pipero

nal

Ergot

amin

e

3,4-

Met

hylen

edio

xyph

enyl-

2 pr

opan

one

(PM

K)

9028

6257

2263

1016

100 15 5

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Aceto

ne

Hydro

chlor

ic ac

id

Gamm

a bu

tyrola

cton

e (G

BL) (l

iters

)

Sulphu

ric a

cid

Benzy

l chl

orid

e

Met

hylam

ine

(liter

s)

Red p

hosp

horu

s (k

g)

Quantities of other drug precursors seized or stopped

8

Number of seized and stopped shipments of the most sensitive drug precursors

44

29

24

16

10

5 52 2 2 1 0

05

101520253035404550

Acetic

anh

ydrid

e (L

iters

)

Ephed

rine

raw m

ater

ial (

Kg)

Prepa

ratio

ns P

seud

oeph

edrin

e (K

g)

Prepa

ratio

ns E

phed

rine

( Kg)

Potas

sium

per

man

gana

te (K

g)

1-Phe

nyl-2

-pro

pano

ne (B

MK) (

liters

)

Pseud

oeph

edrin

e ra

w mat

erial

(Kg)

Safro

le (l

iters

)

Pheny

lace

tic a

cid (K

g)

Pipero

nal

Ergot

amin

e

3,4-

Met

hylen

edio

xyph

enyl-

2 pr

opan

one

(PM

K) (lite

rs)

148

68

30 2919 18

9 5 4 2 10

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Gamm

a bu

tyrola

ctone

(GBL)

(lite

rs)

Hydro

chlor

ic ac

id (L

iters

)

Aceto

ne (L

iters

)

Tolue

ne (l

iters

)

Red p

hosp

horu

s (kg

)

Sulphu

ric a

cid (l

iters

)

Ethyl

ethe

r (lite

rs)

Met

hyl E

thyl

keto

ne (M

EK) (Kg)

Met

hylam

ine

(liter

s)

Benza

lhed

yde

(liter

s)

Benzy

l chlo

ride

Number of seized and stopped shipments of other drug precursors

9

Comparative 2006-2007-2008 seizures and stopped shipments of the most sensitive drug precursors

51

14

1

1316

5 57

1 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

3134

45

107

20

24

03

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

16

29

24

44

5 52

10

2 20 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Prepar

atio

ns E

phed

rine

( Kg

or ta

blet

s)

Ephed

rine

raw m

ateria

l (Kg)

Prepar

atio

ns P

seud

oeph

edrin

e (K

g or t

ablet

s)

Acetic

anhy

dride (L

iters

)

1-Phen

yl-2-

propa

none

(BM

K) (lite

rs)

Pseud

oephed

rine

raw m

ateria

l (Kg)

Pheny

lace

tic a

cid (K

g)

Potas

sium

perm

angana

te (K

g)

Piper

onal

Safro

le (lit

ers)

3,4-

Meth

ylened

ioxy

pheny

l-2 p

ropa

none

(PM

K) (lite

rs)

Anthr

alinic

Acid

Ergom

etrin

e

Ergota

mine

Isos

afro

le (l

iters

)

Lyse

rgic

acid

N-Ace

tylan

thra

linic

acid

Norep

hedrin

e

2006

2007

2008

Comparative 2006-2007-2008 seizures and stopped shipments of other drug precursors

6

32

14 1620

612

4 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

126

38

27

1826

10

26

2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 0

148

68

30

18

29

95

19

4 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Gam

ma

buty

rola

ctone

(GBL) (

liters

)

Hydro

chlor

ic acid

(Lite

rs)

Aceto

ne (L

iters

)

Sulph

uric a

cid (l

iters

)

Toluene

(lite

rs)

Ethyl

ethe

r (lite

rs)

Met

hyl E

thyl

keto

ne (M

EK) (Kg)

Red p

hosp

horus

(kg)

Met

hylam

ine

(lite

rs)

Benza

lhed

yde

(lite

rs)

Piper

idine

1,4-

Butane

diol (B

DO)

4-(M

ethylt

hio)-b

enza

lhyd

e

4-(m

ethylt

hio)-p

heny

lace

tic a

cid

Allylb

enze

ne

Benzy

l chlo

ride

Benzy

l cya

nide

Ethyla

min

e

Formam

ide (k

g)

Lith

ium

Alu

mini

um H

ydrid

e

Nitroet

hane

Platin

um o

xide

(all f

orm

s)

2006

2007

2008

10

Examples of trafficking methods The pictures on the following pages illustrate some interesting examples of trafficking methods used in 2008.

"Drug precursor trafficking via Road"

Source: Estonian Customs

11

"Drug precursor trafficking via Air"

Source: French Customs

Source: German Customs

12

"Drug precursor trafficking via Post"

Source: German Customs

13

Production of heroin

(1 500 – 2 000L for 100kg heroin hydrochloride)

(30L for 100kg heroin hydrochloride)

(100 – 400L needed to prepare 100kg heroin hydrochloride)








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14

Production of cocaine

15

(100 – 400L needed for producing 100kg of cocaine hydrochloride)

(20kg for 100kgcocaine hydrochloride)

(1 500 – 2 000L for 100kg cocainehydrochloride)

(30L for 100kg cocainehydrochloride)















POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE Largely used in the water/waste

industry, leather industry, medicines. Illicitly used as an oxidizer in reaction with the plant coca to produce cocaine.

Production of methamphetamine and amphetamine

(150kg for 100kg amphetamine sulphate or methamphetamine

hydrochloride)

(200L for 100kg amphetamine sulphate or methamphetamine

hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)


hydrochloride)

EPHEDRINE/PSEUDOEPHEDRINE Usually, used in the production of cough medicines, illicitly used as key precursors for the preparation of methamphetamine.

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summary report on eu drug precursors seizures 2008

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