Latest news and statistics about crime and security in the Czech Republic. Information about the black market in the Czech Republic is collected from international organizations, intelligence reports and news publications.
In 2009, police in the Czech Republic discovered 342 clandestine meth labs within the country. The number of labs discovered in 2009 was down from the 460 labs discovered in 2008.
In both years, the number of labs found in the Czech Republic was the highest number discovered in Europe.
(See meth prices from around the world.)
Source: Marc Herman, “Would “Breaking Bad’s” Czech scheme work?,” Salon, Septmebr 5, 2012.
The United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre has reported that 2,077 potential victims of human trafficking were identified in 2011. The figures were submitted by police agencies, the UK Border Agency and other law enforcement agencies.
Out of the total number of victims, 31 percent were trafficked for sexual exploitation. 22 percent were victims of labor trafficking, 17 percent for various criminal activities, 11 percent for domestic servitude, and 5 percent were trafficked for more than one type of exploitation.In a first case of reporting, 1 percent of the victims (3 people) reported being trafficked for the purpose of their organs being harvested.
13 percent of the victims were unable to be determined.
The most common country of origin of the human trafficking victims were the Czech Republic, Nigeria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Source: Jamie Doward, “People smugglers target their victims as organ donors and house slaves,” Guardian, August 25, 2012.
According to a survey conducted by Transparency International Czech Republic, the typical bribe paid in the Czech Republic was between $248 to $497 (5,000 to 10,000 Czech Korunas). The majority of the locations where bribes were paid was at vehicle testing locations where car emissions are tested, health centers for better service, and traffic cops.
Source: Czech News Agency, “Bribery most frequent in health care in ČR,” Prague Daily Monitor, June 6, 2012.
Along with the Czech Republic, Nordic countries have a high rate of addicts receiving drug treatment for use of amphetamines.
The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Finland have between 57 percent of 82 percent of all drug treatment residents being addicted to amphetamines, according to the United Nations.
Source: “World Drug Report 2011,” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, June 2011, page 133.
In 2008, out of the 486 methamphetamine labs found in all of Europe, 460 were found in the Czech Republic.
Source: Bruce L Konviser, “Czech Republic leads Europe in meth labs,” GlobalPost, May 5, 2010.
According to the Union of the Czech Spirits Producers, one out of four bottles of alcohol sold in the country is counterfeit.
Source: Stephan Delbos, “One in four bottles of liquor are counterfeit,” Prague Post, April 28, 2010.
The illegal prostitution industry in the Czech Republic generates over $200 Million a year.
According to the US State Department, wildlife were the third highest black market product smuggled into the Czech Republic after drugs and weapons. Popular animals were tortoises, songbirds and parrots.
Below are losses to selected countries in Europe from counterfeit pesticides.
|
Country |
Losses |
|
4.19 Million |
|
|
39.4 Million |
|
|
13.3 Million |
|
|
6.6 Million |
|
|
22.9 Million |
|
|
103 Million |
Source: “Counterfeit Pesticides Across Europe-2008,” European Crop Protection Association, August 2008.
20.6 percent of the population in the Czech Republic smoked marijuana at least once in their lifetime, and 1.1 percent of the population last used cocaine in 2005.
Source: EMCDDA, “Czech Republic Data Sheet,”.
