NUMBERS

Most of the drugs is produced in the poor countries, mainly in the South America (marijuana, cocaine and derivatives) and in Asia (opium and derivatives), and are destinated to the consumption in the industrialized countries. In this process, some countries function as intermediate: it´s by means of its territories that the drug leaves the production areas and arrives at the final destination. The "United Nations Drug Control Program" (UNDCP) esteem that the production of opium has reached the 5.000 tons in 1996, and about 300 tons of that would been transformed in heroine. About 1,000 tons of cocaine have been manufactured from the 300.000 tons of cocaine leaf produced in 1996.

According to report of the UNDCP, 3.000 tons of marijuana and 1.000 tons of hashish had been apprehended in the world in 1995. In the same year, the cocaine apprehensions had added 251 tons and 13 tons of heroine. However, it did not have reduction in the production. The profits generated for the traffic of drugs are so great that they easily cover the cost of loads confiscated for the policy. The UNDCP calculates that the traffic puts into motion around 400 billion dollar to the year, what would be equivalent about 8% of the total of the world-wide exportations. From there the difficulty of the governments of some countries in fighting the action of the dealers in its territories. They are too rich.

main page - traffic - numbers