GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRIME REVIEW
This article aims to raise awareness about fentanyl , the deadliest opioid on the drug market , by providing a brief overview of how fentanyl affects the human body and its underlying effects ; how organized crime groups ( OCGs ) acquire , produce and distribute fentanyl ; the most relevant legislation regulating fentanyl , its derivatives and precursor chemicals ; how it is trafficked by OCGs ; the financial and money laundering aspects ; and how to better fight the trafficking of opioids like fentanyl , based on the Financial Action Task Force ( FATF ) Recommendations .
The scale of the issue : Deaths and seizures
In Europe , 5,800 deaths involving one or more illicit drugs were reported in 2020 , and opioids accounted for more than three-quarters of these drug-induced deaths . It appears that “ deaths associated with fentanyl and its analogues are rarely reported and might be underestimated in some countries .” 3 In the U . S ., the number of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids ( primarily fentanyl ) amounted to 70,601 in 2021 . 4 In Canada , 3,556 apparent opioid overdose deaths occurred between January and June 2022 and 97 % of these apparent opioid-related deaths were accidental and 76 % involved fentanyl . 5 The U . S . is , by far , the most impacted country in the world with 70,601 deaths in 2021 , which represents approximately 193 deaths per day .
“ U . S . drug overdose deaths have surged more than 400 % in the past two decades to more than 108,000 in 2021 , the result of an addiction crisis set off by the overuse of prescription opioids . Today , illicit drugs are deadlier than ever , largely because of the pervasiveness of fentanyl .” 6
In Europe , the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction ( EMCDDA ) reported that 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl derivatives were seized in Europe during the year 2020 . During the same year , the Netherlands also seized 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl . 7 It is worth highlighting that one kilogram has the potential to kill as many as half a million people . 8 In the U . S ., the DEA reported that more than 50 million fentanyl-laced pills and fake prescription pills , as well as more than four tons of fentanyl powder , were seized during the year 2022 . It also estimates that these seizures have the potential to kill as many as 379 million people , namely every American . 9
How fentanyl affects the human body
Fentanyl can be injected , snorted / sniffed , smoked , taken orally by pill or tablet or spiked onto blotter paper . It works by binding to the opioid receptors located in the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions , namely the limbic system ( emotions ), brainstem ( automatic body actions ) and the spinal cord ( pain ). In fact , the brain makes its own versions of endogenous opioids in several forms , like endorphins . On the other hand , fentanyl and its derivatives are exogenous opioids ( i . e ., coming from an external source ), creating an exaggerated response when binding to the opioid receptors . Long-term opioid use may cause the brain to adapt to the drug and diminish its sensitivity , which makes it hard to feel pleasure from anything besides the drug . This is when the addiction appears and people lose control over their life by constantly seeking and using the drug even though it may be harmful to their life and health . The sought effects of fentanyl are euphoria , relaxation , pain relief and sedation , but it can result in confusion , constipation , drowsiness , dizziness , nausea , problems breathing , pupillary constriction , respiratory depression , unconsciousness , urinary retention and vomiting . In case of overdose , breathing can slow or stop . The decrease in the amount of oxygen to the brain is a condition called hypoxia , which can lead to a coma , permanent brain damage and even death . 10
In Europe , 5,800 deaths involving one or more illicit drugs were reported in 2020 , and opioids accounted for more than three-quarters of these drug-induced deaths
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