Seizures of ecstasy increased tenfold between 2003 and 2005 on the US-Canada border.  Source: Jane Gross, “Rise Seen in Trafficking of Enhanced Ecstasy“, New York Times, January 9, 2008.

There were 615,000 first-time users of ecstasy in 2005, and 860,000 first-time users in 2006.  Source: Jane Gross, “Rise Seen in Trafficking of Enhanced Ecstasy,” New York Times, January 9, 2008.

One of the 40 biggest importer of illegal drugs into the United States has been arrested in Israel and faces extradition. From the LA Times: Suspected Israeli mobsters employed members of the Vineland Boyz, a San Fernando Valley gang, to distribute tens of thousands of Ecstasy pills throughout Los Angeles, provide security and gun down an Encino [...]

The world’s biggest ecstasy haul ever recorded took place in Australia last week.  From Bloomberg News: Australian police arrested 16 people after seizing the world’s biggest ecstasy haul — 4.4 metric tons of the drug found hidden in tomato tins on a ship from Italy last year. “This is classic organized crime,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty told reporters [...]

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates the total value of the global ecstasy market to be valued at $16.07 billion. Number of users worldwide: 8.6 million. Source: United Nations, “2005 World Drug Report,” Office on Drugs and Crime, June 2005, pg. 142.

Australian paper The Daily Telegraph is reporting that ecstasy is being flooded into Australia from Dutch and Chinese organized crime gangs. From the Daily Telegraph: THE Italian Mafia has joined forces with Dutch and Chinese criminals to flood Australia with ecstasy in a re-emergence of a crime network not seen here since the 1980s. Dutch authorities have warned [...]

Canadian law enforcement officials were stating emphatically that there is no new threat posed from Canada to the United States in the form of methamphetamine-laced ecstasy, contradicting the statements by US Drug Czar John Walters. From the Associated Press: Canadian police on Sunday disputed claims by the U.S. drug czar that organized crime rings in Canada are [...]

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has released their annual Drug Situation in Canada 2006 report. Among the main highlights from CTV.ca: In a two-year period, Canada has become a net exporter of ecstasy, once known as the “rave” drug but now available at a wide range of youth-oriented venues. “Between late 2005 and 2006, Canada replaced the Netherlands [...]