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The EU’s MDMA market is worth €594 million with 72.4 million tablets sold each year
MDMA (stock image)
MDMA (stock image)
Clodagh Meaney
Today at 12:29
A new report has found that drug gangs from EU member states are making and selling more MDMA than before.
The EU Drug Market: MDMA report by Europol and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) says that gangs are “adapting and expanding their production” of the drug as well as “refining trafficking methods and extending their reach to new countries and regions.”
Organised crime groups based in the EU are global producers of the drug with Asia and Oceania as particularly profitable markets with Latin America recently emerging as an increasingly important market as gangs trade MDMA for Cocaine.
The report also found that the Covid-19 pandemic had a “significant impact” on the market. Demand for the drug dwindled as recreational settings closed down, however it has now returned to pre-pandemic levels.
It was found that sale of the drug on the dark web as well as surface web and social media has increased with small quantities being sent via post globally.
The drug is trafficked across Europe via air and occasionally by sea, but land transport is most common as it allows for larger quantities to be sent via post or couriers.
Environmental damage linked to MDMA was also described as “significant” and generated between 1,155 and 3,191 tonnes of chemical waste in 2021.
“Chemical waste products are typically dumped away from the production sites and often in neighbouring countries, resulting in health risks, environmental damage and high clean-up costs for contaminated sites,” the report reads.
“MDMA production is linked to a range of health and safety issues due to the risk of fires, explosions and exposure to toxic chemicals.”
The arrest of key equipment makers has had a knock on effect on production as makers of the drug turn to cheap Chinese equipment.
Such low-quality equipment comes with the risk of explosions and “serious consequences” for the populations and the environments surrounding production areas.
While the content of MDMA in ecstasy tablets has increased over the last decade, the cost of the drug has remained stable.
The EU’s MDMA market is worth €594 million with 72.4 million tablets sold each year.