Event report

Conclusions from the Conference on drugs, 15 October 2021 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Within the framework of the Conference “Criminal, health and international aspects of combating drug abuse in Croatia and the European Union”, the issue of drug crime was viewed as a transnational and transcultural global phenomenon with significant negative security and public health consequences. Given that this is a highly complex issue, the only way to adequately address it is to take an interdisciplinary approach. It is for this reason that this Conference was also attended by the representatives of the National Police Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime as the organisational unit of the Ministry of the Interior that is in charge of dealing with the most serious forms of crime, as well as representatives of the Forensic Science Centre “Ivan Vučetić” of the Ministry of the Interior, representatives of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, EUROPOL, Customs Administration, and health institutions. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All participants agreed that the Croatian national system for combating drug abuse is yielding positive results, but it must keep up with the trends and the particular ways in which criminal groups operate. As these constantly evolve, the system must also develop new ways of preventing drug crimes. This approach to drug crime must also be taken on the EU level. If we fail to do so, it is a realistic possibility that the drug market develops to the point where it becomes a serious economic and political problem. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Emphasis is increasingly placed on modern technology as one of the mechanisms for combating drug crime, which makes it easier to monitor the activities of criminal groups in cyberspace, or, more precisely in the dark web. Europol has recognised that Croatian police have been producing impressive results in this regard, as there has been a visible “shift” from classic criminal investigation to investigation that is carried out with the use of hi-tech tools. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ At the same time, technological tools have helped the Customs Administration in detecting an increased number of drug smugglers at airports who are trying to enter the Republic of Croatia after ingesting drug packages. They mostly attempt to smuggle cocaine from countries in South America. Cocaine has become the drug of choice among European users, turning Europe into the top destination for its smuggling. This situation has compromised the security in certain Member States where criminal groups are known to, for example, blackmail port workers to clear the containers with cocaine for shipping. On the other hand, experts have reported that Europe is the greatest global manufacturer and exporter of synthetic drugs (amphetamine, LSD), for which there is now, after a period of stagnation, once again increased demand. When it comes to heroin, which mostly arrives in Europe from countries in central Asia (primarily Afghanistan), there has been some decrease in demand, but the consequences that this drug has on persons and society are so severe that it must be combated with the same intensity. Given the global character of the drug market, international police and customs cooperation and efficient exchange of information are absolutely essential in its suppression. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The discussion at the Conference showed that drug crime should be treated as a severe and complex public health and security challenge and that there is still not enough attention paid to this issue on the EU level. This might be due to the fact that drugs now seem to be everywhere and this is simply accepted. Even though they do not elicit the same response from the media and the public as some other type of threats such as, for example, terrorist attacks, it must be kept in mind that, by comparison, drugs in Europe take infinitely more lives every year. It is therefore more than justified that the European Commission has recognised drug crime as a priority in its Communication on the EU Security Union Strategy 2020-2025. This Conference was an important step towards raising awareness about this issue and an incentive to take decisive action not only on the national level, but also on the level of the entire European Union. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In recognition of this fact, the Government of the Republic of Croatia has set up a Committee for Combating Drug Abuse chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior dr. sc. Davor Božinović. Recently, at its first session, the Committee expressed its support for the new strategic documents - the National Strategy on combating drug abuse 2021-2030 and the accompanying Action Plan 2021-2025 which should be adopted very soon. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Finally, efforts will be invested to encourage additional projects with EU funds, which would be aimed at combating drugs, including projects related to police and customs cooperation. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20 women and 20 men participated in the Conference, most of them middle-aged adults.