NEWS

Legal cases and arrests go down, but considerably more narcotics confiscated

The number of legal cases involving drugs in Greece dropped in 2004, compared to previous years. Data provided by the Coordinating Body for the Prosecution of Narcotics, part of the National Center for Documentation and Information on Narcotics and Addiction, lists 9,052 drug-related cases last year, compared to 11,198 in 2003. The data also show that 12,823 people were accused of illegal drug involvement in 2004, compared to 16,195 in 2003. But the amount of illegal drugs seized went up. Authorities seized 39,820 cannabis plants in 2003, compared to 21,060 in 2003. Also, the seizure of synthetic drugs nearly doubled – from 47,723 pills in 2003 to 83,103 in 2004. The number of LSD tabs doubled in that time (from 536 to 1,111), as did methadone pills (from 4,566 to 10,993). Considerably more cocaine was also confiscated. In 2003, only 201 kilos of cocaine was confiscated; by 2004, that number went up to 1,152 kilos. Meanwhile, slightly more heroin was also confiscated. In 2003, 247 kilos was seized while in 2004 the figure stood at 315 kilos. Also, the study noted that in the first four months of 2005, there were 3,498 legal cases involving drugs and 4,697 more drug-related accusations. The number of those convicted of violating drug-related laws generally remained steady between 1997 and 2002, with only minor increases noted. A total of 1,847 people were convicted of drug charges in 2002, with most of the offenses in Macedonia (32 percent) and Athens (21.3 percent). The overwhelming majority of convictions (82.9 percent) concerned instances of drug use, while 16.6 percent involved drug dealing; just 0.5 percent related to growing plants to be used for narcotics. Finally, fewer drug users were sent to prison or other correctional institutions in 2002. That year there were 279 underage convicts, compared to 323 in 2001 and 328 in 2000. In 252 cases, the crime was drug use.

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