Drug availability and drug markets: seizures data

Overview of the data | Tables | Methods and definitions

Overview of the data

The link above gives access to the tables in the bulletin in the section dealing with drug seizures, as well as to a description of the methods and definitions used in compiling this data. A brief overview is also provided. See also the side navigation bar for links to all chapters.

The tables in this section monitor over time the number of drug seizures and quantities seized by law enforcement agencies (mainly police and customs officials), figures that are available for many countries historically over the longer term. Tables include data from the EU Member States, the candidate countries and Norway.

Table SZR-0 is a summary table for 2003 of the numbers of seizures and quantity seized, by country, of cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy and LSD.

Tables SZR-1 to SZR-12 show reported drug seizures by country, where data are available, for the major drug types of interest by both numbers of seizures and quantities seized. Part (i) of each table gives historical, medium-term data for 1994 to 2003 and part (ii) of the table gives a longer historical run of figures from 1985.

Summary points

Cannabis

In most of the countries, cannabis is the most seized drug (both in number of seizures and quantities seized).
Overall, the number of cannabis seizures has been increasing in the last 5 years, except for a decline in 2001. Quantities seized in the EU, after a decline in 1999 and 2000, have been rising again since 2001. Partial reporting of data from a few countries makes however these trends uncertain.

Heroin

Quantities of heroin seized in the EU have been generally on the increase over the last five years, with a plateau in 2000 to 2002, while, overall, numbers of seizures declined during the same period. Based upon trends in reporting countries, the total amount of heroin seized in the EU seems to have increased substantially in 2003, while the numbers of seizures seem to have decreased in most reporting countries.

Cocaine

Over the period 1998 to 2002, the number of cocaine seizures increased in all reporting countries except Germany and Portugal whilst quantities of cocaine seized in the EU have being fluctuating within an overall upward trend. Based upon trends in reporting countries, the number of cocaine seizures at EU level seems to have decreased in 2003, while amounts of cocaine seized have substantially risen.

Amphetamine

At EU level, the increasing trend in the number of amphetamine seizures peaked in 1998 and quantities peaked in 1997. Numbers of amphetamine seizures increased again in 2001 and 2002 but, based upon trends in reporting countries, they may have stabilised or even decreased in 2003. This is not the case for the total quantity of the drug seized in the EU, which appears to be increasing since 2002.

Ecstasy

The number of ecstasy seizures at EU level has increased rapidly over 1998 to 2001 but decreased since 2002 and, based upon trends in reporting countries, this decline seems to continue in 2003. Quantities of ecstasy intercepted increased rapidly between 1998 and 2000 and since then at a slower pace. In 2003 however, quantities seized decreased in most of the countries reporting data. However, the potential decline at EU level in ecstasy seizures (both numbers and quantities) in 2003 has to be confirmed against missing 2003 data once they become available as some countries that could potentially change this picture have not yet provided data at the time of writing.

LSD

Over 1998 to 2002, at EU level, both the number of LSD seizures and the quantities seized decreased. However, in 2003, numbers of LSD seizures and amounts intercepted increased for the first time in nine years. Again this analysis is provisional and will need to be reviewed when the full data set for 2003 becomes available.