The United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC) has revealed the routes of arrival of cocaine, tramadol, and cannabis to Libya, from the land borders with Niger and Chad on their way to Europe.
According to the report issued by (UNODC) based on data from Sahel countries, entitled “Drug trafficking in the Sahel: transnational organized crime – threat assessment”, cannabis traded in the region comes mainly from Morocco, where an increase in production was reported reaching about 901 tons in 2022, and is generally destined for the countries of western and southern northern Europe.
Cannabis is transported mainly by road from Morocco to Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad, and then to Algeria, Libya, and Egypt, in addition to an alternative sea route extending from Morocco to the gates of the Gulf of Guinea.
Cocaine is smuggled by road from Morocco to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and then to Algeria and Libya and diverted on its way to final destination markets, mostly in Europe.
In January 2022, 215 kg of cocaine was seized in an official car belonging to the mayor of Fachi, a remote town northeast of Agadez in Niger, on its way from Mali to Libya.
West Africa is at the heart of new cocaine circuits, making it a natural stopover for this powerful drug produced in South America on its way to Europe, and the bureau confirms that cocaine, cannabis resin and pharmaceutical opioids are the most prevalent in the region.
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