Drug Report: The number of ads has increased massively

Drug Report: The number of ads increased mbadively

VIENNA / LINZ. Increase of almost 27% in the space of one year in Upper Austria – one more reason for more checks.

Police investigate suspicious drug traffickers. Bild: Weihbold

In one year, the number of advertisements in Austria has increased sharply: 42,610 the previous year, or 6,300 more than in 2016. This is apparent from the report on narcotics, the Ministry of the Interior released yesterday.

A similar picture emerges in Upper Austria: in 2016 there were about 6,000 ads, compared to 7692 last year, an increase of 26.9 percent. In Austria as in the federal state, the figures have more than doubled in the last ten years.

Upper Austria has the second highest number of advertisements in Vienna (around 14,000), with Carinthia recording the largest increase of 33.2%. The number has increased in all federal states, the only exception is the Tyrol with a less than 0.8 percent.

"Crime rates are alarming, and the police investigation and control in this area are urgently needed" Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (FP). According to the director of the police of Upper Austria, Andreas Pilsl, the focus is on the number of ads. After all, drug crime is an offense of control. This means that the more intensive the police audit, the more cases are revealed.

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Cannabis is the most common drug

"Over the past year, we have been focusing on obtaining contracts in public places, and we are getting by very well in the cities, "says Pilsl. For example, police confiscated 225 kilograms of cannabis in Upper Austria in 2017, which is much more than in previous years. "The numbers show that much is done," says the chief of police

Cannabis is the most used addictive substance in the country: last year, the Austrian police insured about 1660 kilos of cannabis and 70 kilos Heroin, 71 4 kilograms of cocaine, 446,465 ecstasy, 50.3 kilograms of amphetamines, 5 kilos of methamphetamine and 633.5 kilos of cath.

More deaths

As for the perpetrators, there were about 25,000 complaints against domestic suspects and about 14,600 against foreign citizens. In other cases, the authors are unknown. The Ministry of the Interior points out that about half of the serious drug-related offenses are committed by foreign suspects. Afghan nationals reported a particularly strong increase from 1103 to 2025.

"Consumers are mainly indigenous, but with the resellers we have about half of the foreigners in Upper Austria," says the director of the police. Pilsl state. "In public places in Linz, for example, there are mainly foreign groups of criminals who are causing us problems, and we are working to control this open scene."

This task, which was also founded in the middle of last year's preparation unit is part of the work of investigation. "Another thing is happening in the background: we are looking at where the drugs come from, how they are delivered and how we can approach the donors," says Pilsl.

Not only in advertisements, but also in deaths related to the use of illicit drugs had a sad increase last year: 165 people died on the whole Austrian territory, 153 victims in 2016.

"Protecting Minors"

Given the numbers, Herwig Mahr, the head of the drug-related crime "He needs a package of measures." Especially with minors , the leverage is established and they do not even have to come in contact with drugs, "says Mahr, who therefore asks:" In the current government program is already planned to tighten the drug law in this case . "Due to the increase, this needs to be fixed quickly. (Whale)

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