BRUSSELS

The European Commission unveiled a new EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan on Thursday aimed at cracking down on rapidly expanding drug trafficking networks, with Brussels set to deploy state-of-the-art satellites, drones and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to monitor traffickers from the skies and beyond EU borders.

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said Europe was "reaching a crisis point" as cocaine seizures increased sixfold and meth seizures more than tripled between 2013 and 2023. Around 7,500 Europeans die annually due to drug-related causes, he added.

"This is why today we are taking urgent actions...We sent the drug lords and their organizations a very, very clear message: Europe is fighting back," Brunner told reporters in Brussels.

Under the new plan, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, will be equipped with "state-of-the-art resources," including aerial assets, high-resolution satellite imagery and drones, enabling EU authorities to track drug shipments, monitor evolving trafficking routes and detect suspicious activities long before smugglers reach European borders.

The EU also plans to reinforce maritime surveillance, expand the European Ports Alliance, and strengthen partnerships with Latin American ports to intercept illicit shipments.

The strategy foresees expanded use of AI-powered detection tools, advanced X-ray systems and enhanced monitoring of postal and parcel delivery services, where traffickers increasingly hide synthetic drugs.

"Drug traffickers use the latest technologies, and that's why we also have to put the focus on innovation to actually beat them," he said.