Drug trafficking offences in Romania: 24.7% increase in first five months of 2025
Police recorded 6,666 drug trafficking offences between January and May, nearly 25 per cent more than the same period last year.
Drug trafficking on the rise: 6,666 offences in five months
Romanian police recorded 6,666 offences relating to illicit drug trafficking between 1 January and 31 May, representing a 24.7% increase compared with the same period of the previous year, according to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) cited by ziarulprahova.ro.
The MAI explains the dual mechanism behind this development: "The increase in the number of offences identified reflects both the permanent adaptation of criminal groups to the new realities of the drug market, and the consolidation of institutional capacity to identify and document such offences."
Operational action and seizures
During the same period, specialised structures of the MAI carried out 456 operational actions targeting organised criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. A total of 1,278 home searches were conducted, and ten organised criminal groups were dismantled.
Seizures totalled 498 kilograms of risk and high-risk drugs. Additionally, 24,214 tablets were removed from circulation and over 117 kilograms of plant material from illegal crops were confiscated.
European context
The MAI places national data in a broader picture: "The drugs phenomenon continues to represent one of the most significant challenges to internal security, both at national and European level." The Ministry cites the most recent European Drug Report – 2025, published by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), which signals high availability in the European market, increases in captured cocaine quantities, the expansion of synthetic drug production, and the emergence of new psychoactive substances with powerful and unpredictable effects. Organised crime networks "constantly adapt their methods of production, distribution and commercialisation, including through the use of digital technologies and online platforms", the MAI specifies.
Drugs and driving
Combating consumption of psychoactive substances whilst driving constituted a distinct area of action. In the five-month period analysed, 17,731 drivers were tested on public roads. The results led to the identification of 282 offences of driving under the influence of psychoactive substances and 392 offences relating to the trafficking and illicit use of drugs or other psychoactive substances. In total, 333 driving licences were withdrawn for driving under the influence of drugs or other prohibited substances.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)