The number of MDMA seizures increased in the first half of 2018

Narcotic substances.Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix

The number of seizures of the drug MDMA were 14% higher in the first half of 2018 than for the same period last year. At the same time,more drugs are getting stronger.

 

Dagbladet newspaper cited Kripos’ drug and doping statistics for the first half of 2018. According to the report, it seized approximately 19,000 tablets and five kilograms of MDMA powder and crystalline material.

The report stated that the products are generally high in purity and that this is a factor that significantly increases the risk of overdose.The same goes for cocaine, which according to Kripos has an average strength of 66%, the highest since 2002.

Several of the seizures were made by the customs office, who said the substance is ordered on the “dark net”.

“We are in a critical phase now. It’s a formidable increase,’’ said senior officer, Elisabeth Drange of Kripos’ drug analysis section to Dagbladet newspaper.

She also stated that seizures of GHB have increased by 25% compared to last year. In 2017, the increase was 37% in comparison with the year before that.

Despite the increase in MDMA and GHB, the total number of drug seizures fell last year for the fourth consecutive year. 25,230 items were recorded.

That is over 6,000 fewer than during the 2014 peak year.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today