Italy Announces Seizure of 6 Tonnes of Drug Precursors From China

Italian authorities have seized more than six tons of raw chemical materials shipped from China, which police believe could have been used to manufacture enough illicit narcotics to “flood” the European market. Italian authorities announced on July 1 the seizure of 6.337 tonnes of chemicals from China, allegedly intended for the production of MDMA, a synthetic substance commonly known as ecstasy or molly, with an estimated value of more than 630 million euros ($678 million). The seizure could have produced more than 63 million ecstasy pills, “a quantity capable of flooding the European synthetic drug market,” Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency that reports to the Finance Ministry, said in the statement....