German official: Reduction of heroin from Afghanistan threatens the lives of users in Europe
Holger Münch, in an interview with German media, stated that traffickers, to compensate for the shortage, are mixing heroin with dangerous synthetic substances like fentanyl, an action that has led to an increase in deaths among addicts.
According to him, cocaine trafficking in Germany is also sharply on the rise, as the North American market has become saturated, and the focus of trafficking gangs has shifted toward Europe. Based on official statistics, heroin-related crimes have decreased this year; however, cocaine trafficking has grown by about 5 percent.
The United Nations has also confirmed that opium production in Afghanistan has declined following the ban on poppy cultivation; however, the production of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine continues to rise.
The head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police has warned that the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has led to a shortage of heroin in Germany, which could have deadly consequences for consumers.
Farzana Ahmadi
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