Series · Crime, War & Politics, Documentary

The Story of Drug Trafficking (2020)

Age of Empires

Drug trafficking was invented by a state: the United Kingdom. In the 19th century, the British Crown flooded China with opium to replenish its coffers. From the very beginning, opium, heroin and cocaine became political instruments in the hands of states. Great powers, pharmaceutical companies, banks and intelligence services all played a role in the spread of drugs and in the emergence of the world’s largest criminal organizations. From the Opium Wars to the birth of the French Connection, from the hippie years to the rise of the great drug barons, from Escobar to El Chapo, from the mountains of Afghanistan to Wall Street, a political history of drugs takes shape.

Creator

Julie Lerat, Christophe Bouquet

Writers

Julie Lerat

Network

ARTE

Country

France

Language

French

First aired

March 24, 2020

Status

Ended

Original title

Histoire du trafic de drogue