Recent research reports by the UNODC and the Flemish Peace Institute have shown that a significant proportion of gun violence in the EU is linked to drug trafficking. Not all drugs, and those who traffic in it, are however created equal. Building on data gathered in the context of Project INSIGHT, this paper explores the various ways that gun violence occurs in the drug context by looking specifically at (1) access to firearms by different agents in drug trafficking; (2) geographical hotspots for drug trafficking and gun violence and (3) the nature and severity of gun violence in drug trafficking in different regional and national contexts. By doing so, this paper will not only show the ways differing ways the illegal drug trade connects with gun violence, but it will also indicate that gun violence can become endemic in certain areas because of an entrenched trade in illegal drugs.

In the context of the EU-commissioned Project TARGET, we established the Dutch Firearm Violence Monitor (DFVM), collecting incident-level data on lethal and non-lethal shootings, the victims, perpetrators, and firearms in the Netherlands for the period 2018-2020. In this presentation, we zoom in on the use of firearms in shootings related to drugs-trafficking or drug trade within the Netherlands. Results show that most lethal shootings (58%) and a large portion of non-lethal shootings (>30%) are related to organized crime and criminal groups that use firearms in their activities around drugs-trafficking. Results further reveal that shootings take place in various forms that include targeted assassinations or rip deals, and are highly spatially concentrated with other forms of drug-related violence, such as the use of illegal hand grenades. We discuss our findings in the broader context of the drug-violence nexus.

Criminals are the main drivers of illicit firearms markets in Europe. They acquire these firearms for instrumental reasons and for reasons of reputation. In recent yearsn criminals appear to have increased access to trafficked firearms, which has contributed to upsurges of criminal gun violence in various parts in Europe. Criminals also play an important role in supplying firearms to extremists and thus also in fueling extremist violence. Previous analyses have demonstrated that members of jihadi extremist networks in Europe tend to acquire their firearms through their pre-existing criminal connections. Data collected within the framework of recent projects TARGET and INSIGHT, two large-scale EU-funded research projects on firearms trafficking and gun violence, indicate that members of right wing extremists network are characterized by a more diversified firearms acquisition pattern, which includes the involvement of outlaw motor cycle gangs, the use of 3D printing, online firearms trafficking and access to legally held firearms. This paper will describe the different acquisition patterns of such extremist networks and analyze the impact of these acquisition patterns on gun violence in Europe.