Approximately 1,300 persons per year have been legally convicted in the Czech Republic for drug crime in the past few years. In 2005, drug offenses known to the police declined to under 3,000 for the first time since 1997; however, it can be assumed that only a small part of the drug crime that occurs in the country is reflected in official statistics. The number of persons convicted for drug offenses continued to increase up to 2004 until a decline in such convictions occurred in 2005. Law enforcement authorities believe that the drug-crime situation in the Czech Republic parallels the traditional drug scene of Western Europe, including the establishment of a structured drug market, although there are signs that it may be stabilizing rather than expanding. Certain ethnic groups are more involved in drug trafficking in the Czech Republic than others. This has been facilitated by the opening of borders after 1989 and the permissiveness of the authorities toward the entry of foreigners into the Czech Republic. Criminal groups within the following ethnic groups have contributed in a number of ways to the establishment of the drug market in the Czech Republic: Albanians, Nigerians, Arabs, and Russian-speaking groups. Although foreigners who commit drug crimes are not numerous in the Czech Republic, they usually belong to the higher echelons in criminal drug organizations. Czechs are also progressively acquiring higher positions in these structures. 5 tables and 9 figures