EU Warns of Rising Narcotics Production in Europe as New Drugs Hit Market

Zollfahndungsamt Hamburg shows a detail of cocaine, found in over 1,700 tins of wall filler, after German authorities seized more than 16 tons of cocaine in the northern port city of Hamburg, Germany, on Feb. 24, 2020, in Europe's largest cocaine haul to date. Cathrin Mueller/Reuters

BRUSSELS—Narcotics production is growing in Europe, according to an estimate published on Tuesday by the EU drugs agency, which warned of a proliferation of new psychoactive substances being sold and consumed on the continent.

In its annual report, the EU drugs agency said that new evidence was emerging of rising drug production in Europe, confirming its earlier warning about the continent turning into a global hub for narcotics, and no longer just a consumption market.