Afghan heroin is trafficked to every region of the world except Latin America. Heroin trafficking from production countries to consumer markets requires a global network of routes and facilitation by domestic and international criminal groups. Although the various trajectories are constantly evolving, there are certain well-established heroin trafficking routes from Afghanistan and other producing countries to international consumers. Some routes are chosen for geographic reasons, while others are associated with lower risk, higher profits or simpler logistics.
Despite the complexity of heroin trafficking routes, some global movements can be generalized for Afghan heroin. The “northern route” is the main heroin trafficking corridor linking Afghanistan to the large markets of the Russian Federation. An emerging network of trajectories known collectively as the “southern route” travels southward from Afghanistan, either through Pakistan or the Islamic Republic of Iran, targeting both Europe and Asia. The third and oldest route is an overland trajectory that travels via the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey and South-Eastern Europe to Western and Central Europe and is colloquially known as the “Balkan route”. This regional snapshot presents the drug trafficking situation in South-Eastern Europe with a focus on the Balkan route of heroin and its patterns and trends. The main objective of this report is to place policymakers and law enforcement analysts in a better position to evaluate the drug trafficking situation and make informed decisions regarding responses.