New moves to crack down on cocaine trafficking to Europe via African countries were agreed at a top-level summit meeting in Venice today.
The G6 meeting heard Europe had witnessed a 'sharp growth' in cocaine abuse and that trafficking routes from South America via western and central African countries were 'gaining ground'.
European ministers pledged to form closer links with African states, in an attempt to place a stranglehold on new smuggling routes.
Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato said: 'We are strengthening our contact capabilities and our concentration on Africa.
'We thought it was necessary to strengthen the structures available to fight against the new route which, starting in Latin America - mainly Colombia - brings cocaine to Europe through Africa.'
He added: 'There is now massive consumption and a massive presence of cocaine in our markets, which is much more consumed than heroin.'
