The United Nations has criticised Bulgaria, Greece and Romania for not doing enough to stall heroin-smuggling from Asia bound for Europe, Dnevnik daily reported on October 22 2009.

According to the report, the three countries' combined effort accounts for a meagre two per cent of all heroin caught, whereas the average for other countries is 20 per cent. Authorities say that more than 90 tons of heroin and morphine pass through southeastern Europe annually, of which only about a ton-and-a-half is discovered, citing statistics from 2002-2006, though figures from 2007 and 2008 have not been disclosed.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that the annual global trade in heroin accounts for more than $65 billion.

It has made a meticulous study and documented how heroin has created a market worth $65 billion, catering to 15 million addicts, and been directly responsible for more than 100 000 deaths a year. Additionally, the drug is directly linked to spreading HIV at an unprecedented rate and, not least, funding criminal groups, insurgents and terrorists.

"We have identified the global consequences of the Afghan opium trade. Some are devastating, but expected; others seem surprising, yet they are very real. I urge the friends of Afghanistan to recognise that, to a large extent, these uncomfortable truths may be the result of their benign neglect," said UNODC executive director Antonio Maria Costa for the UNDOC website.

"Countries in South-Eastern Europe, including European Union member States like Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, intercept less than two per cent of their opiate trade."

The UNODC was launched to assist the United Nations in creating a coherent strategy and combating illicit trafficking in and abuse of drugs, as well as contribute to crime prevention and upholding criminal justice and fighting international terrorism and corruption.

These goals are pursued through three primary functions: research, guidance and support to governments in the adoption and implementation of various crimes, such as drugs, terrorism, and corruption-related conventions, treaties and protocols.

The UNODC also facilitates technical/financial assistance to governments who lack the required resources to face their respective situations and challenges in these fields.