Police forces have been warned dealers could be using takeaway delivery services to transport drugs while society is on lockdown.
International crime fighting agency Interpol has issued a global warning following reports of shocking incidents across the world.
They include guns being found in pizza boxes and drugs in Indian flatbread deliveries.
In many cases the food delivery staff are unaware of the criminal goods they are carrying.
Interpol gathers intelligence about crime from around the world and issues warnings when themes emerge.
With societies across the globe placed on varying degrees of lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, drug dealers are finding it harder to mobilise.
But from the UK to Spain to Malaysia there have been reports they are taking advantage of one of the few groups of people who do not attract attention on the quietened streets - food delivery staff.
Based on intelligence from these incidents, and others, Interpol has now issued a top level warning - called a purple notice.
None of the incidents were identified as having taken place on Merseyside, though Interpol said it is aware of cases in the UK.
The agency said: "Interpol has received reports from police in Ireland, Malaysia, Spain and the United Kingdom identifying delivery drivers transporting drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, ketamine and ecstasy.
"In early April, the Spanish National Police identified and arrested seven individuals dressed as food delivery drivers in Alicante and Valencia.
"The suspects were caught delivering cocaine and marijuana by bicycle, motorcycle and car – some of the drugs had been concealed inside a false bottom of home delivery backpacks.
"In Ireland, Gardai officers recovered eight kilograms of cocaine as well as two handguns hidden in pizza boxes.
"Based on these arrests, as well as incidents in other countries, Interpol issued a ‘purple notice’ alerting its 194 member countries of this new modus operandi."
Interpol said that in some cases drug dealers disguised themselves as delivery riders and in others, riders did not know they were being exploited.
In one Malaysian case, a food delivery rider in Kuala Lumpur contacted police and asked for his food package to be inspected after he became suspicious.
The rider had been tasked with delivering a single order of Indian flatbread yet the parcel weighed approximately 11 kilograms.
Stephen Kavanagh, Interpol’s executive director of police services, said: “As criminals continue to adapt their activities to a world upended by COVID-19, Interpol’s purple notices are essential tools in enabling police around the world to learn from each other’s successes and address shifting crime patterns.”
