To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Czech National Anti-Drug Centre has today presented its annual report for 2024. The analysis highlights the growing diversity of drugs, regional production and distribution hotspots, and emerging risks in the digital sphere.
The Czech drug market continues to be clearly dominated by methamphetamine, better known as Pervitin. It remains by far the most dangerous addictive substance in the country – from criminal, health, and social perspectives. It is typically produced in improvised micro-laboratories with an output of a few hundred grams per batch. Preparations containing the active ingredient pseudoephedrine, required for its manufacture, are mostly imported from abroad.
At the same time, interest in cocaine is increasing. Due to massive overproduction in South America, large quantities of the drug are reaching Central Europe via European ports. Prices remain stable, while availability is rising.
New Synthetic Drugs, Illegal Laboratories and International Links
Alongside traditional addictive substances, new synthetic drugs are becoming more prominent. In the Czech Republic, illegal production facilities for so-called synthetic cathinones – such as klephedrone and mephedrone, inexpensive alternatives to Pervitin, cocaine or MDMA – have been uncovered for the first time. Most of these substances are intended for export, primarily to Poland, where they are gaining traction.
MDMA, better known as ecstasy, remains a staple of the club and party scene. Increasingly, pure versions of the substance – intended for tablet production – are being seized.
Another area of growing concern is synthetic opioids. Following a drastic decline in opium production in Afghanistan, experts fear a rise in extremely potent substitutes such as fentanyl or nitazenes – with potentially deadly consequences. Even the smallest amounts can be lethal. While no such laboratories have been discovered in the Czech Republic to date, isolated deaths elsewhere in Europe have been attributed to these substances.
Border Regions as Hotspots – Prague Most Affected
Geographically, the drug problem is concentrated in major urban areas. Prague ranks highest in both the number and severity of drug-related offences, followed by the regions of Central Bohemia, Ústí nad Labem, South Moravia and Moravian-Silesia. Border regions continue to play a key role – especially Karlovy Vary, which is seen as a hub for drug exports to Germany.
Kratom, HHC and Cannabis: Grey Zones and New Challenges
The consumption and sale of kratom – a substance that remains legal – is of growing concern to the authorities. The cannabis sector is also seeing developments: While legally available products made from industrial hemp may contain up to one per cent THC, semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC – now banned at EU level – are spreading. The Czech Republic plans to formally include HHC on its list of banned substances; however, some derivatives are still categorised as ‘psychoactive substances under observation’.
Online Trade and Encrypted Networks: The New Drug Landscape
Drug trafficking is increasingly moving online. Cryptocurrency payments, deliveries via courier or ‘dead drops’, and the use of encrypted communication platforms have become standard practice for both dealers and investigators. Groups on social media or messaging apps – sometimes numbering thousands of members – appear and vanish rapidly. Participants include dealers, users, and fraudsters, the latter often sending caffeine, creatine, or nothing at all instead of drugs.
International Cooperation is Essential
Fighting cross-border drug crime would be virtually impossible without close cooperation between international law enforcement agencies. A coordinated European response is vital, especially when investigating globally active criminal networks.
