The Ketamine trail
The UK has ketamine problem. Its use increased by 85 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Paul Kenyon investigates the global trade in the drug.
Ketamine was designed as an anaesthetic but its use as a recreational drug is growing fast, particularly among young people. In the UK, it has doubled in less than 10 years but it can cause serious side effects. The supply chain for the drug starts with pharmaceutical manufacturers in India then involves criminal gangs in Europe who use front companies to legally import vast quantities of the drug before flooding it onto the illegal market in the UK. Paul Kenyon investigates the trade.
Reporter: Paul Kenyon
Producer: Paul Grant
Technical producer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Carl Johnston
(Image: Montage of road signs and lorry driving on motorway in fog at night. Credits: DigiPub/Getty Images)
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- Tue 17 Jun 202501:32GMTBBC World Service
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