A new report has found that the illicit drug market in Ireland is worth more than €650 million a year and is continuing to expand.
The Health Research Board Report says criminal organisations continue to be involved because of the huge profits to be made from the sale of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
The report also says that while cannabis has been the principal drug in Ireland - accounting for more than half of all seizures - there has been a huge increase in the number of cocaine seizures and the quantity of the drug seized.
The report on the illicit drugs market has information on the drugs market which is both well known and shocking. It says the market here is continuing to grow.
The estimated street value of cannabis resin seized is over €374m, followed by ecstasy at €129m, cocaine at €75m, heroin at €54m, amphetamines €10m, cannabis herb at €4m with the remainder made up of LSD.
The board says these figures are an underestimation and that the amounts seized represents at most 10% of all the drugs coming into the country.
