Drugs offences continue to rise

The number of narcotics offences in the country grew in 2017 for the fourth consecutive year.

A total of 23,965 narcotics offences were recorded last year, which was more than eight per cent higher than that in 2016, according to a recent crime report released by the police.

The number of recorded aggravated narcotics offences was 1,004, which was 87 more than in 2016. The number of detected aggravated narcotics offences grew by almost 10 per cent.

Drugs have become more and more widely available through anonymous online marketplaces resulting in an increase of the offences.

The number of detected narcotics offences nevertheless suggests that use of drugs is increasing.

The police regard the relaxation of attitude towards use of drugs particularly among the young people as a worrying phenomenon. Considering the growing availability of narcotics through anonymous online networks, for example, this could create conditions for increasingly widespread and serious drug problems and an increase in associated offences, such as property crimes, committed by drug users.