Cocaine production is reaching historic highs, reports the UN

The production of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, has risen by 35% compared to pre-pandemic levels, as drug cartels take advantage of receding Covid-19 restrictions to smuggle record amounts of the narcotic across the world. The spike in cocaine production is the sharpest rise since 2016 and comes amid efforts by powerful South American drug cartels to streamline the efficiency of drug labs. Traffickers have devised new methods to distribute stockpiles of the drug, such as disguising it in everyday items such as avocados and surgical facemasks. UK officials have noted a "significant increase" in the seizure of cocaine delivered via international postal systems and courier services. Cartels have also established new routes to traffic and distribute the drug as they look to avoid scrutiny from anti-narcotics agents, particularly in developing markets in Asia and Africa. The global demand for the drug has also led to increased coca cultivation and production in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.