T1.1.1 Domestic production of drugs
Judging from the available data, Slovenia is a self-sustaining country in terms of the illicit drug cannabis, particularly cannabis grown in specially designed indoor facilities. Also, Slovenian cannabis is said to be available in the markets of our neighbouring countries Austria, Italy and Croatia. The number of uncovered specially designed indoor facilities for growing cannabis has decreased from 118 in the previous year to 80 (analogous with the figures for 2012 and 2013). Still, the number of seized cannabis plants increased by as much as 26.5% compared to 2014. This means that despite a smaller number of specially designed facilities, a much larger number of plants were grown inside such facilities compared to previous years. We are finding that the equipment and methods for growing cannabis indoors are getting increasingly better.
Table 1. Number of specially designed indoor facilities for growing cannabis, 2010–2015
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Number of specially designed indoor
facilities for growing cannabis 42 52 75 70 118 80
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
No single working laboratory for the production of synthetic drugs or cocaine and heroin was uncovered in Slovenia in 2015.
T1.1.2 Routes of trafficking
Illicit drugs continue to be smuggled along the traditional two-way Balkan route, and we estimate that the scope of smuggling operations continues to be increased, just like the previous year. Primarily cannabis as well as heroin is smuggled through the Balkan route from Albania, Kosovo and also Macedonia. Smuggling in the opposite direction involves mostly synthetic drugs and oftentimes cocaine.
We are still finding that ecstasy, amphetamine and cocaine are being smuggled mainly from the Netherlands. For Slovenia and the rest of Western Balkan countries, the main supplier of cocaine is Spain.
Criminal groups in Slovenia, or rather criminal group members from Slovenia, increasingly smuggle larger volumes of various illicit drugs by freight transport. The high volumes of freight traffic on European roads reduce the chances of uncovering and seizing illicit drugs. At the same time, if successfully executed, transporting larger volumes of illicit drugs stashed under or next to legal cargo makes it easier to maximize profits. For criminal groups, this type of transport also means reduced risk of being exposed.
T1.1.3 Trafficking within country
Based on the available data, Slovenia is a transit or stop-over country for illicit drug smuggling operations. Some amounts of individual illicit drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and amphetamine, never leave our country. According to the available data, Slovenia continues to be a self-sustaining country in terms of the illicit drug cannabis, particularly cannabis grown in specially designed indoor facilities.
Slovenian-grown cannabis can be found in the markets of our neighbouring countries Austria, Italy and Croatia, with higher selling prices and yielding higher sales profits compared to Slovenia.
Both in quantities large and small, illicit drugs seem to be easier to come by in Slovenia's larger urban areas. Members of criminal groups then resell smaller volumes of the illicit drug to other members
outside these urban areas. The most common method of smuggling illicit drugs within the country's borders is using private passenger vehicles.
T1.1.4 Wholesale drug and precursor market
Illicit drugs in larger volumes (amphetamine, cocaine, heroin) are obtainable mainly in large urban areas such as the cities of Ljubljana, Koper and Maribor, while this cannot be said for larger quantities of cannabis. Cannabis is grown in logistically convenient locations (for instance, facilities allowing the setting up of suitable conditions for growing cannabis – larger warehouses, vacant apartments, etc.) selected independently of where the perpetrators actually live.
Drug precursors, most notably acetic anhydride, is smuggled in by criminal group members from the Czech Republic, most often kept in storage somewhere in Slovenia or Hungary and then moved on to Turkey. There is no data available that would indicate acetic anhydride is being used for heroin production in Slovenian territory. Other drug precursors too are smuggled into Slovenia via maritime transport (stashed inside containers) and are not produced in the country.
There are internationally linked criminal groups operating in Slovenia, with Slovenian citizens acting as organizers and perpetrators of criminal offences. They mostly provide organizational and logistical support for, but also engage in, criminal activities in supplying the European market with illicit drugs. We estimate that these are medium-size criminal groups whose members have links with criminal groups from other countries, both in the Western Balkans and the EU. Still, international criminal groups operating in Slovenia continue to exactly follow the illicit drug supply and demand patterns.
The cannabis grown in specially designed indoor facilities usually comes in larger quantities, which is why cannabis is generally being sold in kilograms on the wholesale market. Given that Slovenia's market for amphetamine, heroin and cocaine is not big, the wholesale volume of these illicit drugs is 500 grams.
Slovenian police methodically collects and analyses the prices of illicit drugs available in the market.
Table 2 below lists prices for the most common illicit drugs found in Slovenia and their wholesale volumes. We are finding that the prices have not changed much over recent years.
Table 2. Wholesale prices of illicit drugs in Slovenia, in EUR, 2015
Type of illicit drug 1 kg 1000 tablets
T1.1.5 Retail drug market
The illicit drug market in Slovenia is very varied and diverse. The supply and demand for the so-called synthetic illicit drugs are on the rise. According to police estimates, other illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine continue to be widely available. Increased police activity, investigations, and exposures of major internationally linked criminal groups occasionally put a dent in the supply and offering of illicit drugs in the Slovenian market. But criminal groups are very quick to regroup and seek out new, unexposed smuggling routes, or to recruit new members to replace those who had been caught and apprehended.
The retail market has a clear hierarchical structure. Larger volumes of certain illicit drugs are broken up into smaller packages and resold to middlemen. Middlemen break up the packages even further and also cut the illicit drug, which is then made available to street pushers and users. There is no evidence indicating that other illegal substances even more harmful to health are being mixed in with illicit drugs.
Illicit drugs prepared this way are available in all parts of the country.
Below is an overview of retail prices for the most accessible and top-selling illicit drugs, per 1 gram or 1 tablet.
Table 3. Retail prices of illicit drugs in Slovenia, in EUR, 2015
Type of illicit drug 1 gram 1 tables
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
T1.2 Drug related crime
T1.2.1 Drug law offences
In 2015, Slovenian police registered nearly the same number of criminal offences as in 2014. It also registered 3730 violations of the Production of and Trade in Illicit Drugs Act, which is down from 2014 (4069); the number of offenders is accordingly lower (3393 as against 3780 in 2014). Despite the decrease in the number of uncovered violations and violators of the Act, this figure, if compared to the years prior to 2013, continues to be credited to the police's systematic and focused efforts to curb the supply of illicit drugs both in the home and foreign markets.
Table 4 shows criminal offences involving illicit drugs in the period from 2011 to 2015, both criminal offences of unlawful manufacture of and trade in illicit drugs as well as rendering opportunity for
consumption of illicit drugs, as set out in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Slovenia. As many as two-thirds of the registered criminal offences fall into the unlawful manufacture of and trade in illicit drugs category, most commonly in the form of illicit drug purchases, production, offering to sell, and selling of illicit drugs.
Table 4. The total number of registered criminal offences, number of criminal offences involving illicit drugs, number of people suspected of committing a criminal offence, number of violations involving illicit drugs, and the number of violators of the Production of and Trade in Illicit Drugs Act, 2011–2015
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Total number of criminal offences 88,722 91,430 93,833 87,474 68,810 Number of criminal offences involving illicit drugs 1925 1969 2191 1867 1872 Number of people suspected of committing criminal
offences involving illicit drugs 2229 2235 2428 2089 2126
Number of violations of the Production of and Trade
in Illicit Drugs Act 3691 3423 4197 4069 3730
Number of violators of the Production of and Trade
in Illicit Drugs Act 3690 3421 3898 3780 3393
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
In 2015, the same as in 2014, cannabis continues to be the illicit drug associated with the highest number of drug-related criminal and minor offences, followed by heroin, amphetamine and cocaine. The largest increase in the number of violations has been seen with regard to hashish (Table 5). The table only lists the illicit drugs most commonly associated with violations.
Table 5. The number of violations of the Production of and Trade in Illicit Drugs Act, by drug type, where a single violation may involve one or more types of illicit drugs, 2013–2015
Type of illicit drug Number of
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
T1.2.2 Crimes underatken under the influence of drugs
The number of expert examinations ordered by the police in 2015 is roughly the same as it was in 2014, specifically 723. An expert examination involves the testing of drivers for illicit drugs, psychoactive medications or other psychoactive substances. The presence of illicit substances among the drivers examined has markedly decreased in comparison with 2014 (246 positive tests), to a mere 143 cases
in 2015. (Table 6). The number of ordered expert examination refusals continues to rise, from 181 in 2014 to as many as 209 in 2015.
Table 6. The number of ordered expert examinations for determining the presence of illicit drugs and other psychoactive substances, and the number of positive blood/saliva and urine tests, 2011–2015
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Total tests ordered 1162 780 784 775 723
Positive tests 648 280 276 246 143
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
In recent years, Slovenian police has observed a downward trend in the number of criminal offences committed with the purpose of obtaining funds for purchasing an illicit drug. 2015 has again seen a large drop in the number of processed criminal offences with at least one criminal offence suspect intending to obtain funds for purchasing an illicit drug (Table 7).
Table 7. The number of criminal offences committed with the purpose of obtaining funds for purchasing an illicit drug (with at least one suspect intending to obtain funds), 2011–2015
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total number of criminal offences 210 123 73 34 15 Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
Table 8. The number of criminal offences, by type, committed with the purpose of obtaining funds for purchasing an illicit drug (with at least one suspect intending to obtain funds), 2013–2015
Type of illicit drug 2013 2014 2015
Unlawful manufacture of and trade in illicit drugs, banned substances in
sport, and precursors for illicit drugs, Art. 186 22 27 6
Rendering opportunity for consumption of illicit drugs or banned substances
in sport, Art. 187 1 1 0
Domestic violence, Art. 191 2 0 2
Larceny, Art. 204 10 1 0
Grand larceny, Art. 205 36 4 9
Forging documents, Art. 251 2 0 0
Giving bribes, Art. 262 0 1 0
Source: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, General Police Directorate
The structure of criminal offences committed under the influence of illicit drugs changes each year. The number of people suspected of committing a criminal offence of domestic violence is alarming because, compared to previous years, this type of criminal offence is increasingly committed under the influence of illicit drugs (4 cases registered by the police in 2014, but as many as 11 in 2015). The criminal offence of obstructing the performance of official acts or revenge upon an official has been attempted more times (4) than committed (2) in 2015; however, the total figure has increased from 2014. This means that police officers (officials) continue to face dangers in enforcing security measures. This type of
criminal offence is followed by grand larceny, manslaughter, murder, forging documents, audacious driving in road traffic, and others. (Table 9).
Table 9. The number of people suspected of committing a criminal offence under the influence of illicit drugs, by several types of criminal offences pursuant to the Criminal Code, 2011–2015
Criminal offence as per Criminal Code 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Larceny, Art. 204 19 1 0 1 0
Grand larceny, Art. 205 21 4 4 1 3
Unlawful manufacture of and trade in illicit drugs, banned substances in sport, and precursors for illicit drugs, Art. 186
11 14 17 3 4
Rendering opportunity for consumption of illicit drugs
or banned substances in sport, Art. 187 7 5 15 2 3
Violent conduct, Art. 296 8 4 1 2 1
Robbery, Art. 206 2 1 0 3 0
Obstructing the performance of official acts or
revenge upon an official, Art. 299 4 4 5 5 6
Illegal manufacture of and trade in weapons or
explosive materials, Art. 307 - - 1 0 0
Sexual assault on a person under fifteen years of age,
Art. 173 - - - 1 0