Drug seizures: over one million in Europe

Over one million seizures of illicit drugs are reported annually in Europe. Most of these are small quantities of drugs confiscated from users, however, multi-kilogram consignments of drugs seized from traffickers and producers account for most of the total quantity of drugs seized.

Cannabis is the most commonly seized drug, accounting for over 72 % of seizures in Europe. Cocaine ranks second overall (9 %), followed by amphetamines (5 %), heroin (5 %) and MDMA (2 %).

Number of reported drug seizures, breakdown by drug, 2015

In 2015, more than 60 % of all drug seizures in the European Union were reported by just 3 countries, Spain, France and the United Kingdom; considerable numbers of seizures were also reported by Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy and Sweden. It should also be noted that recent data on the number of seizures are not available for the Netherlands or for Poland and Finland. These gaps in the data add uncertainty to the analysis.

The large numbers of drug seizures reported by Turkey reflects both its significant consumer market and its position on drug trafficking routes between the European Union, the Middle East and Asia.