Paul Kenyon and Paul Grant
BBC files of four surveys
BBC
Customs officials at Brussels Airport were shattered. They had opened a box in the back of the truck, hoping to find a large ketamine. But somewhere on that journey, the white flour had been switched for salt.
After zigzagging hundreds of miles in Europe, the commission had been verified five days ago by customs officials at Skipol Airport, the Netherlands, ready for a road trip to Belgium.
But somewhere between Amsterdam and Brussels, ketamine had disappeared – authorities believe it is most likely to be on the black market – replaced by salt and newly forged documents.
It is unknown where the drug came to be, and no one is responsible, but the case illustrates the increasingly elaborate ways criminal gangs use to exchange ketamine across Europe and the UK.
They use classification in some countries as legal healthcare by transporting it across multiple borders to disrupt the authorities. The consignment will then disappear and be sold illegally as hallucinogens.
“It’s clear that criminal organizations are misusing all these long routes,” says Mark Bancoilly, Belgian Central Director of Drugs.
Belgian investigators have discovered at least 28 similar commission switches since the incident in 2023, containing an estimated 28 tons of ketamine.
Some people make more money by selling ketamine than other illegal drugs such as cocaine.
In the UK, ketamine consumption rose 85% between 2023 and 2024, suggesting wastewater analysis – sampling human waste from sewage plants to measure the scale of illicit drug use.
The latest figures show that there were 53 deaths involving ketamine in 2023. It is linked to the famous deaths that include friend actor Matthew Perry and drug star Vivienne. Drug abuse can also lead to cognitive problems and permanent bladder damage.
British organized crime groups are “evidently stepping into this new market,” says Adam Thompson of the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The challenges for European law enforcement are exacerbated by the fact that ketamine is not only used as an important legitimate anesthetic in hospitals and veterinary clinics, but is also a popular illegal recreational drug.
The four research files looked at how organized crime groups utilize this dual classification. Ketamine is classified as a drug in countries such as the UK and Belgium.
However, in countries including Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, it is regulated as a drug. This means less scrutiny during import and transport.
“It starts with being produced for these markets and exported from countries like India,” Thompson said. “But that will be circumvented by organized crime groups into illegal supply.”
Armed with this knowledge, smugglers have developed a preferred route – shipping medicines from India, where they are produced as medicine, through the Netherlands and Belgium, and in the UK.
In the case of a discontinued commission at Brussels airport, the drug was originally transported from India to Austria. He then flew by plane to the Netherlands, dropped off again and forced into Germany before he was ready for a road trip to Belgium. Between all these connections it was legally moved.
But somewhere in this last leg, it was swapped for salt – and it is believed that ketamine entered the black market for illegal sales.
In another case, containers arriving at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium, which had been verified to contain ketamine, were found to retain sugar.
Criminal groups also utilize the legal supply chain by establishing front companies to import ketamine under the guise of legal use, but bypassing it into illegal markets once they arrive in Europe.
The more countries and jurisdictions pass through, the more countries and jurisdictions that require communication between law enforcement, the more difficult it becomes. It also helps you to disguise yourself as a place that is based on the importing company that is legitimately licensed.
“They are [the criminals] In the meantime, companies from different countries – all kinds of steps are placed. “We’re a drug expert at Dutch police,” said Ch Insp Peter Jansen.
Belgian Central Director of Drugs Marc Bancoilly says that ketamine “tons and tons” have disappeared on illegal routes
Germany, the largest importer of ketamine in Europe, has a huge pharmaceutical industry, so large consignments are less likely to raise doubt.
In 2023 alone, 100 tonnes of ketamine was imported from India, says Vancoillie — far more about legitimate medical and veterinary use.
“For legal purposes, 20-25% is needed, not more,” he said. “The ones that disappeared on the criminal route are torn and torn.”
European police say they plan to contact Indian authorities to tackle the issue. The German Federal Criminal Police Department says it is conducting intensive surveillance of new psychoactive substances, such as ketamine.
“We are in close contact with national and international authorities, organizations and institutions to ensure we can anticipate and respond to further developments and new trends,” he added.
“Needle in the Haystack”
Smuggling networks have seen a lot of rewards in England and Wales, with an estimated 269,000 people aged 16 to 59 reported using ketamine in the year that ends in March 2024, government figures show. Of young people aged 16 to 24, usage has risen by 231% since 2013.
“Ketamine is a very inexpensive drug compared to several other illegal drugs,” explained NCA’s Adam Thompson. “It sells from £60 to £100 with cocaine, and at street levels for around £20.”
The drug is smuggled into the UK through two main routes – the NCA believes it is hidden in small compartments sent by mail or in trucks and vans arriving via ferries and channel tunnels.
With hundreds of thousands of plots arriving in the UK, only a small percentage has been discovered. “It’s very easy to hide that needle from Haystack,” Thompson added.
In Belgium, several criminal groups keep ketamine before sending it to the UK via France, according to Bancoilly.
In one case, someone reported suspicious group of men moving their IKEA boxes into their vans. The vehicle was employed, allowing authorities to return the previous move to Airbnb in Staden, Belgium.
There they discovered 480kg of ketamine (1,058 pounds) and 117kg of cocaine, as well as 63kg of heroin stored in the garage.
Eight British citizens were eventually charged in connection with the incident.
As ketamine use continues to increase and human trafficking methods grow more creatively, European authorities are calling for greater international cooperation.
“This is the responsibility of institutions and countries around the world,” Thompson warned, “to think about this.”
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