– Cocaine in particular has increased in the past year. That’s what Kari Solvik, head of the drug analysis section at Kripos, says. Not since 2014 have more drugs been seized than last year, the police’s recent report shows. – This is due to the large seizures that were made last summer and spring, says Solvik. Last year several historically large cocaine seizures were made in Norway. On two occasions, 712 and 803 kilograms of cocaine were found in the warehouse of the fruit and vegetable supplier Bama in Oslo. Also in Western Norway, a large seizure was made under a ship and in a car. Cocaine is the second most used narcotic drug in Europe. – Only cannabis is more common. It may be that these trends are also approaching our country, says Solvik. Kari Solvik is head of the section for drug analysis in Kripos. Photo: Milana Knezevic Cocaine wave In addition to record seizures, the number of cocaine seizures has also increased. In total, more cocaine was seized last year than in the last 22 years combined. – Generally speaking, we say that the quantities seized are often the result of efforts against organized crime, while variations in the number of seizures often reflect availability and use, explains Solvik. Only since 2021 has there been a doubling in the proportion of cocaine seizures, from 5 to 10 per cent of all drug seizures. Figures from the Institute of Public Health show increasing use of cocaine in Norway. 4.7 per cent of those aged between 16 and 30 stated having used cocaine in the past year. In 2013, 2.2 percent said the same. Asking people to steer clear of synthetic substances In 2022, synthetic opioids in the nitazene group were seized in Norway for the first time. The substances in this group are very powerful, in fact from ten to a thousand times more powerful than morphine. – What they have in common is that they are very potent, says Solvik. In 2023, 14 seizures of these substances were made – a clear increase from four seizures the previous year. – It is a small proportion of the total seizures, but very many of the seizures in this group were linked to overdoses and overdose deaths because they are such potent substances, says Solvik. Nitazener was first listed on the drug list in May last year. – We hope this has an effect in the form of people steering clear, because that should definitely be done. There has also been a marked increase in the amount of benzodiazepines seized in recent years. Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs, most of which are addictive, and can be enhanced by other psychoactive drugs, drugs and alcohol. In 2023, 1.65 million tablets of benzodiazepines were seized in 2,902 seizures. There are 17 per cent more seizures than in 2022. Ketamine and MDMA Over the past few years, the anesthetic drug ketamine has been seized more frequently and in larger quantities than before. In 2023, 43 kilograms of ketamine were seized, compared to 3.9 kilograms in 2019. Reports also show an increase in the number of seizures and relatively large quantities of ketamine powder in Europe. This may indicate that the substance is stably available and may have become an established drug in certain environments. Ketamine is often referred to as “horse drug” because it is used as a sedative or anesthetic for animals. Never before have such large quantities of MDMA powder been seized. After two years of declining seizures, there are 13 percent more MDMA seizures in 2023 than the previous year.
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Record amount of cocaine seized in 2023 – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
