Drug mafia increasingly using young people

Europe's drug gangs are increasingly using young people for drug trafficking, but also for acts of violence. Young people, especially from socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, are being recruited by the mafia for intimidation, assault and even as contract killers, according to the EU Drugs Agency's (EUDA) 2026 annual report. Criminal backers provided planning, weapons, money and transportation.

According to the experts, recruitment within the framework of so-called violence-as-a-service models is partly carried out via social media. According to the authority based in Portugal's capital Lisbon, this development is part of an increasingly complex and dangerous drug market in which new and often highly effective substances are constantly appearing.

New substances and traditional drugs

New substances are coming onto the market at a rapid pace, while traditional drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin remain widespread. Last year, 50 new psychoactive substances were registered in Europe for the first time. The agency now monitors a total of 1,050 such substances.

"Drug markets are developing rapidly and the variety of substances on the streets of Europe is becoming increasingly unpredictable," warned EUDA Director Lorraine Nolan. This increases the risk of people consuming highly potent drugs without knowing it.

Thousands of drug deaths in Europe

The experts are particularly concerned about new synthetic opioids. These highly effective substances can be life-threatening even in small quantities. Opioids, usually in combination with other substances, are still the most common cause of drug-related deaths in Europe. The EUDA estimates that there were at least 7,600 overdose deaths in 2024 (2023: almost 7,500), most of which involved multiple substances. At 1,912, Germany accounted for a quarter of all registered deaths.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner referred to the consequences of drug use for society. "We must do everything we can to prevent dangerous new products from flooding the market," he emphasized. We must "take action against illegal dealers with the full force of the law".

Cannabis remains the most widely used drug in Europe, with around 25 million users per year. The authorities are also observing an increase in the particularly problematic use of crack cocaine. The cocaine market also remains at a high level: around 4.3 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 consumed this drug in Europe last year.

The smugglers' cat-and-mouse game

At the same time, smugglers are adapting better and better to the growing pressure from the authorities. Following increased controls in large ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp, they are increasingly using smaller ports, according to the report. They are also using new methods such as transhipment on the high seas, drones, speedboats and even semi-submersibles to transport drugs from South America or Africa to Europe.

Meanwhile, a new danger is also considered alarming: e-cigarettes containing cannabis substances as well as nicotine have recently been confiscated in several EU countries. Such products could also serve as carriers for even more dangerous substances in the future, warns the EUDA, whose report is based on data from the 27 EU member states as well as Norway and Turkey.