SYNTHETIC DRUGS — THE NEW GLOBAL THREAT
Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Investigators are fighting an almost hopeless battle against the cartels and addiction itself. Is Europe facing the same threat?
EU citizens spend over €30 billion a year on illegal drugs. Worldwide, the drug market is estimated to turn over more than half a trillion US dollars annually. The devastating impact of cocaine, heroin and crack is already being felt across our societies. Now, a new generation of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and nitazenes pose an even greater threat. The consequences are plain to see: countless lives destroyed by addiction in Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco, public drug hotspots like the one in downtown Frankfurt and suburbs of Marseille terrorised by increasingly powerful drug gangs. Europe has not yet reached the catastrophic death toll seen in the United States, but the numbers are rising and drug networks are extending their reach. Scientists, social workers, police officers and international investigators are alarmed by the cartels’ capacity to adapt and survive. How serious is the threat to Europe? This investigative report examines the causes, key players and trafficking routes of the global drug trade, with a particular focus on the rapid emergence of new synthetic drugs. Following international experts and investigators, the film shows how law enforcement is trying to halt the advance of the global drug mafia.