00:00Well, to get more insight, we can speak now to Professor of Criminology at Oxford University,
00:04Frederico.
00:05Thanks so much for your time.
00:07We're seeing that the level of cocaine use in Europe has...
00:10and exponentially.
00:11Can you give us an idea of the extent of it and notably how traffickers...
00:15tell us a bit more about how traffickers are managing to get that cocaine into the continent?
00:20Yes, the level of consumption in...
00:25in Europe has risen massively, and I'm sure there are many reasons for that, but...
00:30one simple reason is that production, production in Colombia...
00:35has skyrocketed.
00:37Currently, the estimates are that...
00:403,000 metric tons of cocaine is produced every year...
00:45in Colombia, it used to be 2,600 last year...
00:50the area of production is grown, it's now 11%...
00:55in the centre of the country.
00:56So, all in all, the production has gone up and price...
01:00prices are quite cheap, and so the consumption then it's easier to...
01:05to do in Europe.
01:06And as your report pointed out, traffickers are very clever...
01:10and finding ways to bring the cocaine from Colombia and Brazil...
01:15to Europe, and they will adapt to the interception of the authorities...
01:20once one route is blocked, they will find another one.
01:23Can you tell us a bit more about those...
01:25I mean, I've read that they've moved somewhat away from the Netherlands...
01:28where it used to come in more...
01:30before coming in via Spain...
01:31I mean, how are those routes developing...
01:33and where is security when it comes to...
01:35defending against that?
01:37Yes, as you're right, the routes...
01:40the routes have now moved...
01:41usually...
01:42they now go through Africa, in fact...
01:43so they go through Africa...
01:44and from...
01:45from there they come north to Spain, for instance...
01:48so that...
01:49that this is just...
01:50what is called the waterbed effect...
01:51once you block one route...
01:53another one is open...
01:55is also possible that now...
01:57other technologies are used...
01:58such as drones...
01:59and...
02:00and so even bypassing the...
02:02the sea...
02:03some of that cocaine is also shipped...
02:05by mail...
02:06of course...
02:07and so...
02:08and of course...
02:09the...
02:10Europol...
02:11in Europe...
02:12is trying to catch up...
02:13with all these different innovations...
02:14that...
02:15are in effect...
02:16inevitable...
02:17it's a bit like...
02:18one battle after another...
02:19as the title of...
02:20the recent movie...
02:21Do countries cooperate...
02:23on...
02:24you know...
02:25Europe...
02:25is a collection...
02:26of police resources...
02:27I mean...
02:28how much cooperation is there...
02:29should there be more...
02:30cooperation between countries...
02:31in order to crack down...
02:32on this trafficking?
02:35this is a very important point...
02:36the...
02:37Europol...
02:38is a...
02:39fundamental institution...
02:40coordinating...
02:41the...
02:42the...
02:43the defense...
02:44and the attack...
02:45against traffickers...
02:46how...
02:45however...
02:46however...
02:47there should be more cooperation...
02:48and it's hard to see...
02:49how more cooperation...
02:50there can be...
02:51because this global...
02:52geopolitical situation...
02:53of course...
02:54is very fractured...
02:55in a recent...
02:56Europol report...
02:57precisely on...
02:58cocaine trafficking...
02:59the United States...
03:00is not mentioned...
03:01so...
03:02the...
03:03the cooperation...
03:04may be very strong...
03:05within European countries...
03:06but there are...
03:07so many other countries...
03:08that are...
03:09outside Europe...
03:10that...
03:10also need to be brought...
03:11into the fold...
03:12and with the...
03:13tension...
03:14in geopolitical...
03:15situation...
03:16there is a war...
03:17of course...
03:18in Europe...
03:19Russia...
03:20in Ukrainian war...
03:20makes it very hard...
03:21for...
03:22cooperation...
03:23beyond...
03:24the European borders...
03:25and...
03:26we were looking there...
03:27at the submersibles...
03:28and you've mentioned...
03:29unmanned drones even...
03:30but we're all...
03:30also hearing...
03:31that more and more...
03:32children and teenagers...
03:33are being...
03:34forced into...
03:35or drawn into...
03:36dog...
03:35drug distribution...
03:36can you tell us...
03:37a bit more...
03:38about that...
03:39the how...
03:40and the why...
03:40yes...
03:41unfortunately...
03:42I am in the...
03:43in...
03:44Oxford now...
03:45and there are...
03:45reports of...
03:46of gangs...
03:47of very young...
03:48people...
03:49who are...
03:50um...
03:50crossing...
03:51so-called...
03:52county lines...
03:53so the drugs...
03:54are now...
03:55being sold...
03:55in the countryside...
03:56as opposed to...
03:57just in the main city...
03:58and unfortunately...
03:59the...
04:00attraction of...
04:01of...
04:02of money...
04:03is...
04:04what motivates...
04:05these...
04:06these young people...
04:05operations...
04:06and of course...
04:07the internet...
04:08cell phones...
04:09make it...
04:10easier...
04:11to coordinate...
04:12these...
04:13operations...
04:14and...
04:15these...
04:16operations...
04:17and...
04:18police matter is also social and political matter is an issue that has to.
04:23Involve schools, attendance to school, families, so.
04:28I think the police is obviously very important, but social services are as crucial.
04:33To prevent the spread of this of this phenomenon, Frederico Veres.
04:38Professor of Criminology at Oxford University, thanks very much indeed for your time.
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