Europe faces growing threat from synthetic opioids and new drugs, report warns

File photo showing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Synthetic opioids are emerging as a growing concern in Europe's illicit drug market, according to the European Union Drugs Agency. AP - Uncredited

Highly potent synthetic opioids are spreading through Europe's fast-changing drug market, linked to hundreds of deaths as traffickers shift to smaller ports and new smuggling methods, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) has warned.

The Lisbon-based agency's annual report, published on Tuesday, found that drugs are becoming more available, more diverse and more potent across Europe, while organised crime groups are adapting their trafficking networks to evade detection.