Britain, and one of the leading consumers of cocaine

Britain, and one of the leading consumers of cocaine,
according to a new interior ministry report.
Drawn up by the ministry's anti-drug division Dcsa, the
study concluded that despite efforts and successes by law
enforcement agencies around the world, both drug production
and trafficking ''continue to rise to alarming levels''.
What is even more disturbing, the report observed, ''is
not only the danger of the drugs themselves but also the
involvement of organized crime and transnational gangs who
represent a threat to law and order on a global level''.
This threat is greatest for Europe and the United States,
ministry experts said, ''because they continue to be the
leading markets for illegal drugs''.
International cooperation between law enforcement
agencies is essential to combat drug production and
trafficking ''as well as to dismantle the major transnational
criminal organisations operating around the world,'' the
report stressed.
And it is in this framework that Italy has had the
greatest success in recent years, the study said, including
leading the Cospol Heroin project.
This initiative involves drawing up short-term plans to
best combat criminal organisations trafficking heroin in
Europe.
Italy also has a leading role in the Maritime Analysis
and Operations Center - Narcotics (MAOC-N), a Lisbon-based
agency which matches up-to-the-minute intelligence with
military and law enforcement units to provide a rapid
response to drug traffickers attempting to supply the EU with
cocaine by sea.
Aside from Italy and Portugal, the agency involves the
participation of Spain, Britain, France, Ireland and the
Netherlands.
The ministry's report on drugs said that in 2007 there
were 38 more drug-related deaths than the previous year,
hitting 589.
Seizures of heroin were said to have jumped 42.96% to
1,899kg, while those of cocaine dropped 15.32% to 3,927kg and
marijuana seizures fell 8.77% to 4,539kg.
Seizures of synthetic drugs like ecstasy soared 193.67%
to 393,457 doses, the interior ministry report said.