REPORTE MUNDIAL DE DROGAS - LIBRO NRO 3: SUMINISTRO DE DROGAS

WORLD DRUG REPORT 2020
DRUG SUPPLY
Indications of intensified use of North Africa as transit area for cocaine
shipments
Seizures of unprecedented quantities of cocaine in or en
route to North Africa indicate a potential intensification
of the trafficking of cocaine via that subregion.
According to media sources, in February 2019, law
enforcement authorities in Cabo Verde seized in the
port of Praia a Russian vessel carrying 9.5 tons of
cocaine. a The seizure was the outcome of collaboration
between the authorities of Cabo Verde and the Lisbonbased
Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics.
The seizure was a record amount of cocaine for
Cabo Verde. b The vessel was travelling from South
America to Morocco, which appears to be emerging as
an increasingly important trans-shipment point for
drugs trafficked to Europe and other destinations.
Later, the importance of this route was further underlined
by news reports of an additional seizure of 3 tons of
cocaine in Morocco, at Sidi Rahal beach, 123 km south
of Rabat, in the province of Berrechid, in August 2019. c
a UNODC, West and Central Africa, “Massive drug operation by
Cabo Verdean authorities successfully seizes 9.5 tons of cocaine in
Praia”, 5 February 2019.
b Reuters, “Cape Verde seizes record cocaine haul from Russian
ship”, 1 February 2019.
c Morocco World News, “Police seize 3 tons of cocaine on Moroccan
beach”, 16 August 2019.
Seizure of 12 tons of cocaine in
Malaysia
Asia is currently a minor destination region for trafficked
cocaine compared with North America and
Western and Central Europe. a However, large individual
seizures in Asia indicate that there is a market
for cocaine or that Asia is being used as a transit
region for significant quantities of cocaine destined
for other regions.
According to media sources, in September 2019,
Malaysian law enforcement authorities seized 12 tons
of cocaine. b The cocaine was concealed by being
mixed with 60 tons of coal. This seizure surpassed
the previous seizure record of August 2019, when
police seized 500 kg of ketamine and over 3.2 tons of
cocaine worth over half a billion ringgits in Shah
Alam. c This development may indicate increasing
trafficking flows to and via Asia.
a UNODC, responses to the annual report questionnaire.
b Straits Times, “Malaysia’s biggest drug bust: 12 tonnes of
cocaine worth S$791m seized in Penang”, 20 September
2019.
c Reuters, “Drugs worth $161 million seized in Malaysia’s
biggest haul”, 23 August 2019.
Over the period 2014–2018, most of the cocaine
trafficked to Africa seems to have departed from
Brazil, followed by Colombia, Bolivia (Plurinational
State of) and Peru. The cocaine trafficked via Africa
appears to be primarily destined for markets in
Europe, such as Spain, France and Italy.
Cocaine trafficking to Asia
The quantity of cocaine seized in Asia in 2018
amounted to 3.5 tons, a slight increase from the
3.3 tons seized in 2017, although still below the
record high of the 6.4 tons seized in 2016. Over
the period 2014–2018, the largest quantities of
cocaine were seized in East and South-East Asia (56
per cent) and the Near and Middle East/South-West
Asia (30 per cent).
Colombia remains the main country of origin for
cocaine seized in Asia. Brazil is frequently mentioned
in Member States’ responses to the annual report
questionnaire as the key departure point for cocaine
destined for markets in Asia.
Some parts of Asia have seen record seizures of
cocaine in recent years. This may signal increasing
trafficking activity to service potentially expanding
markets or highlight the development of previously
unseen trafficking routes for cocaine destined for
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