The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said that the global supply of cocaine is at record levels. In its "Global Report on Cocaine 2023," the UNODC said the surge is partly a result of an expansion in cocoa bush cultivation, which doubled between 2013 and 2017, hit a peak in 2018 and rose sharply again in 2021.

UN drugs agency says global supply of cocaine is at record levels

Esther Wanjiru started using heroin at 16 to dull the pain after her baby died, first smoking, and now injecting the opioid which has become increasingly cheap and abundant in Kenya.

Formerly a transit route to Europe, Kenya becomes heroin hub

Myanmar has made south-east Asia’s largest-ever seizure of synthetic drugs in raids that revealed ''unprecedented'' production of opioids in the area, the UN has said.

Myanmar police find the largest haul of synthetic drugs in South East Asia, seizing 200 million meth tablets

A young Afghan mother of seven sits on a red woollen rug alongside four other women who are slicing huge slabs of handmade, flowery soap into smaller bars. She is one of about 20 female employees -- many of them recovering drug addicts -- working part-time on an organic farm in Kabul, where they grow flowers and plants to turn into sweet-smelling soaps and creams.

Afghanistan: Kabul soap factory helps former addicts stay clean

Raids on jungle drug labs have been met with heavy artillery fire, Myanmar narcotics police said Thursday, in an area riddled with armed groups accused of pumping out much of the world's methamphetamine.

Drug lab raids in Myanmar's meth capital met with artillery fire

Sri Lanka has hired two hangmen as it prepares for executions of four prisoners convicted of drug offences in what would be the country's first use of the death penalty for over 40 years, prison authorities said on Friday.

Sri Lanka picks two hangmen for first prisoner executions since 1970s

Myanmar has seized 370 kilogrammes (815 pounds) of heroin worth $4.7 million during a raid in the northeast, police said, the latest big bust in the world's second-largest opium producer after Afghanistan.

Myanmar seizes heroin haul worth $4.7 million: Police

'Last night we conducted strikes in northern Helmand to hit the Taliban where it hurts, in their narcotics financing,' US Army General John Nicholson said

US, Afghan forces strike opium factories to curb Taliban funds