A digital–physical continuum of illegal drug markets: Networks, trust, and culture

In recent years, due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the situation has only worsened, so the article is devoted to the problematic issues of the gap in the law on criminal liability regarding the strengthening of criminal liability for the illegal sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues by contactless means. The article draws attention to the problem of modernization of the sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues through the use of electronic information resources («marks», contactless sale). The analysis of previous publications on the specified topic was carried out and the opinion of scientists regarding further scientific developments regarding the non-contact method of distribution of narcotic drugs was taken into account. The disposition of Art. 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has not changed for more than twenty years, although we know that crime is constantly changing and adapting to new conditions for effective illicit enrichment, which is the focus of the article. The author provides examples of the negative impact of using a special, so-called, contactless method or the method of «marking» the sale of drugs. Examples of judicial practice and peculiarities of qualification by the «mark» method are considered. In addition, the article analyzes foreign legislation, namely the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and provides an example of how to solve the problem by strengthening criminal liability. According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, illegal sale of drugs through the use of electronic information resources is a particularly qualifying circumstance and provides for a penalty of imprisonment from ten to fifteen years with confiscation of property. Under national law, in the absence of other qualifying circumstances, such actions of the perpetrator should be qualified under Part 1 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, where the sanction of the article is much less than under the qualifying circumstances. Therefore, the article concludes that it is advisable to amend Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely, the need to enhance criminal liability for the sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues through the use of electronic information resources.

Background Studies of the epidemiology of substance use are problematic by the disorder's nature and the illegal character of the substances' turnover. For safety, the illegal substances' markets had moved to the Internet, to the less transparent darknet part. The objective of this study was to get estimates for the Russian drug market using data collected at dark net market ‘Hydra', get the amounts of drugs offered, the relative frequency of offers, and the regional distribution of the market activities. We analyze the relationship between estimates of the illegal drug market with traditional indicators of drug use disorders on the next stage. Methods We use two types of data: 1) Deep Web Black Market data; 2) Official Russian statistical indicators related to drug use. We use Python program via VPN service to extract data. R software was employed for statistical analysis to build the maps of drug offerings and sales by the regions of Russia. Er use the descriptive statistics and correlation analysis to compare the estimates with the state statistics. Results Using the estimates of sales for the drug classes in grams by region (per 100000 population), we mapped the data and found that there is a correlation with the registered drug users and drug-related deaths. There is no Hydra sales of opiates in some regions indicating that older supply channels are still active. Total drug sales and offers championed by cannabis, opiates/opioids, cocaine, amphetamines and the other drugs in smaller amounts. There is a significant correlation between the supply of opiates in regions of Russia and the official incidence of fatal drug poisoning (r = 0.41; p = 0.003), and the number of HIV positive injected drug users (r = 0.47; p = 0.002). Key messages Analysis of the deep internet sales of drugs helps assess the situation with the illegal drug supply in the regions of Russia. Data on deep internet sales of drugs should not substitute the other sources of data.

The article examines the criminological features of illegal drug sales and, on this basis, provides suggestions for improving the system of combating drug crime in the Black Sea region of mainland Ukraine.
 The author revealed that the rapid pace of drug addiction, the expansion of the range of drug supply, the increase in the volume of their supply, the involvement of a large number of the population in the criminal sale, the involvement of Ukraine in the world drug business industry are only a small list of threats that determine the increased degree of danger of activities related to illegal sale of drugs. It is proven that due to the specific economic, social, demographic situation; advantageous geographical location; due to the presence of an extensive network of sea, rail and road transport, the Black Sea region turned out to be one of the most attractive areas for the illegal enrichment of criminals through the sale of drugs. It is substantiated that this puts the problem of analyzing drug crime in the Black Sea region of mainland Ukraine into an extremely urgent scientific problem and determines the need to find new forms and means of improving the regional system of drug crime prevention.
 The author established high indicators of the intensity of drug sales in the Black Sea region. So, if in Ukraine the intensity of the illegal sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues is an average of 14 crimes per 100,000 population, then in the Black Sea region of Ukraine these indicators exceed the Ukrainian average.
 It is argued that criminals use the most diverse ways to move drugs from the illicit producer to the end user.
 It is justified that the prevention of drug sales is a set of interrelated measures that should cover a number of spheres of social relations. The activities of state and law enforcement agencies, whose tasks include countering drug crime, should influence the sphere of supply and demand of drugs.
 The paper states that law enforcement agencies in the Black Sea region of Ukraine should respond with adequate measures to prevent crimes: improve information and analytical support for crime prevention work; training of highly qualified personnel who would use modern knowledge, the latest forms and means to prevent crime; regulatory and legal support for the practice of combating drug addiction needs improvement, especially its organized forms; an important role is played by the establishment of cooperation (at the national, regional and local levels) between the practical units of the National Police, the Prosecutor's Office, the Court, the State Border Service, etc. in matters of exchanging information about criminals, conducting joint operations to stop crimes, preventing smuggling and their movement through the territory of the country to points of sale; an important direction is counteraction to "contactless" forms of domestic anesthesia - through the Internet, various messengers, etc.; not the last role is assigned to the prevention of drug crime: promotion of a healthy lifestyle among the population; prevention of recidivism and other measures.

New nonprofit ASOP fights illegal online drug sellers

The article considers the current problem of Internet fraud in the context of the illegal sale of drugs containing narcotics. The main methods and techniques by which criminals use the network to sell illegal substances, bypassing legislative restrictions, are analyzed. The features of Internet fraud associated with the illegal sale of drugs containing narcotics are investigated. Common fraud schemes used by criminals in the online space, such as fake online pharmacies, fake sites and hidden platforms on the darknet, are considered. The legal and ethical aspects of this phenomenon are highlighted, and measures to combat Internet fraud in this area are proposed. The study is based on the analysis of legislation, judicial practice and academic sources, which allows us to identify key challenges and recommendations for improving law and order in the online sale of narcotic drugs.

Violent drug markets are not as prominent as they once were in the United States, but they still exist and are associated with significant crime and lower quality of life. The drug market intervention (DMI) is an innovative strategy that uses focused deterrence, community engagement, and incapacitation to reduce crime and disorder associated with these markets. Although studies show that DMI can reduce crime and overt drug activity, one perspective is prominently missing from these evaluations: those who purchase drugs. This study explores the use of respondent-driven sampling (RDS)-a statistical sampling method-to approximate a representative sample of drug users who purchased drugs in a targeted DMI market to gain insight into the effect of a DMI on market dynamics. Using RDS, we recruited individuals who reported hard drug use (crack or powder cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, or illicit use of prescriptions opioids) in the last month to participate in a survey. The main survey asked about drug use, drug purchasing, and drug market activity before and after DMI; a secondary survey asked about network characteristics and recruitment. Our sample of 212 respondents met key RDS assumptions, suggesting that the characteristics of our weighted sample approximate the characteristics of the drug user network. The weighted estimates for market purchasers are generally valid for inferences about the aggregate population of customers, but a larger sample size is needed to make stronger inferences about the effects of a DMI on drug market activity.

The scientific article analyzes the practice of sentencing minors for committing criminal offenses in the field of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues and precursors. After analyzing a number of materials of criminal proceedings, the author states that the court chooses for minors accused of illegal production, manufacture, purchase, storage, transportation or shipment of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues without the purpose of sale (Part 1 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code Ukraine) penalty in the form of a fine. The author examines the materials of criminal proceedings and concludes that the courts release a juvenile from punishment with probation and probation for illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation or shipment for sale, as well as illegal sale of drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues (Part 1 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The author states that there are certain problems in sentencing minors who have committed criminal offenses in the field of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues and precursors. First of all, they concern incomplete consideration of all the circumstances of the criminal proceedings, disregard for certain characteristics of the accused juvenile. In some cases, courts do not establish the very fact of involving a juvenile in a criminal offense as a socially dangerous act, ignoring or omitting this moment.

Background Drug policies and interventions require an ongoing understanding of the local demand for illegal drugs. How illegal drugs are distributed to consumers is critical in the demand process. To overcome barriers to purchasing illegal drugs, people utilize their peers to purchase substances for them. These brokered drug sales allow buyers to leverage their peer networks to make purchases. For brokers, this form of exchange allows them to obtain drugs for free. This drug acquisition strategy is underappreciated in understanding how local drug market's function. Methods This paper presents findings from a brief survey on brokering collected from a random sample (N = 241) of active illegal drug injectors recruited from two syringe services programs in Ohio, USA. Results Findings indicate that 30-day and lifetime brokering behavior is common (71% and 90% respectively). Respondents who brokered in the last 30 days (n = 181) purchased drugs for an average of 7 people and from an average of 4 different sellers. Among this group, over 84% indicated that they used drugs with the person they brokered for, 49% reported often or always inflating the price to the buyer, and 27% indicated they removed some drug before returning to the buyer. Conclusion Measuring brokering offers new insight on the dynamics of drug markets, how they operate, and ways to measure their activity. The demand for illegal drugs incorporates the increased use of a drug, changes in the use of different drugs, and/or a novel drug being used. Accessing drugs via brokering accommodates these dynamics. By including brokering in drug market activity, the concept and scope of illegal drug markets transform into networks and not places.

The research subject is the features of forensic and operational-search tools and methods in the fight against illegal sale of drugs and psychotropic substances, carried out by transnational organized groups using information and communication technologies.The research goal is to analyze the current state of illicit drug trafficking, carried out by organized groups using information technologies, and to develop proposals on this basis for effective operational-search and forensic support for the detection, disclosure and investigation of such crimes.The dialectical-materialistic method, general scientific methods of cognition, the content analysis method of scientific literature and empirical sources, the comparative legal method, the method of expert assessments constitute the methodological basis of the present research.During the study, the following scientific findings have been obtained, namely based on the forensic practice analysis, it has been concluded that crime in the drug business has changed significantly over the last decade. It is distinguished by the complex structure of criminal groups, remote covert interaction between its members, the interstate nature of its activities, the rapid replacement of members and structural links of a criminal group, the anonymity of monetary transactions and remote legalization of criminal proceeds. Effective concealment of the crime traces and criminals through the use of information and telecommunication technologies has become its focus. Drug-related crime is rapidly transforming and adapting to changes in the criminal environment, the digital space development, in particular, it is moving into the shadow segment of the Internet (Darknet) through the TOR technology. All this allows us to state that transnational organized criminal drug trafficking activity is becoming high-tech.To counter modern drug-related crime, it is necessary to develop international cooperation, some ways, forms and procedures of which are being proposed by the authors of the paper. The article describes in detail the possibility and feasibility of the interconnected implementation of operational-search and investigative activities, which generates a positive synergistic effect from their combination. The article proposes a set of practical measures to identify and investigate such crimes. In particular, the possibilities of using systems operating on the basis of machine learning, contextual data analysis, honeypot are being disclosed. An addendum to the Federal Law “On Operational-Investigative Activity” has been formulated, concerning the inclusion of the norm on a new operational-search measure “Internet monitoring”. Its content and potential in the practice of combating the investigated crimes have been revealed.This study can fill a number of gaps that have existed in the scientific literature on improving the practice of countering the illegal sale of drugs by transnational organized groups using information and telecommunication technologies.

Hurricane Katrina accomplished what no law enforcement initiative could ever achieve: It completely eradicated the New Orleans drug market. However, Katrina did little to eliminate the demand for drugs. This article documents the process of the drug market reconstitution that occurred 2005-2008 based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with predominately low-income drug users and sellers. Before Katrina, the drug market was largely characterized by socially-bonded participants involved with corporate style distribution. After Katrina, a violent freelance market emerged. The conclusion draws recommendations for law enforcement for dealing with drug markets after a major disaster.This article uses New Orleans as a case study to chart the process of drug market reconstitution following an extreme disaster, namely Hurricane Katrina. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and engulfed the New Orleans area, overwhelming levees and causing extensive flooding and destruction across the city. The storm generated 30- to 40-foot waves, which demolished many cities and small towns in Southern Mississippi and Alabama and caused considerable wind damage further inland. Although the hurricane eye missed central New Orleans by about 30 miles, the wave action in Lake Pontchartrain caused several levees to break and flood most of eastern New Orleans, which was under sea level. The storm had an impact on practically all New Orleans residents and almost destroyed New Orleans (Cooper & Block, 2006; Levitt & Whitaker, 2009; Lee, 2006).Our research focused on the impact of this storm on the drug markets in New Orleans. Katrina destroyed the physical environment and organizational structure that sustained the drug trade, yet drug use and sales did not disappear. During and soon after the storm, improvised sales and distribution organizations provided a wide range of illicit drugs to users (see Dunlap, Johnson, Kotarba, & Fackler, 2009; Dunlap & Golub, 2010; Dunlap, Johnson & Morse, 2007). This article examines the next historical period, the continuation of drug use among those returning to New Orleans and the rebuilding of drug market structures. The analysis provides a short review of drug markets before Katrina. Our main focus is the reconstitution process during the three years following the disaster. We pay special attention to street-level dealers and the end users' lived experiences in primarily poorer neighborhoods, illustrating elements of continuity and change as various actors reconstituted New Orleans' drug market.

Drug crime is a specific type of crime that primarily threatens the life and health of an individual who uses drugs. However, it also has a secondary impact on society, in that drug addicts suffer from health problems, the treatment of which is covered by public health funds. At the same time, the sale of illegal drugs is among the most profitable illegal businesses in the world. New types of drugs are increasingly appearing on the market. Largely young people who are not aware of the health risks and the impact on the rest of their lives resulting from the use of these drugs also become users. The aim of the contribution is to analyse drug crime committed in Slovakia with an emphasis on juveniles and to describe the negative effects of selected drugs, the users of which are mainly these persons. The results of the contribution will bring an innovative view of current forms and trends in the field of drug crime, which will be useful in the implementation of drug crime prevention.

Insidious Regulatory Taxes

The laundering of money appears to have reached almost epidemic proportions, due primarily to the increase in profit from the sale of illegal drugs; the growth of organised crime, particularly in Russia; the sale of oil outside of OPEC quotas; and the siphoning off of aid funds. The bulk of these funds are washed through the global financial system before arriving at their final destination … a high‐street bank.

Societies are always changing rapidly. Initially, societies recognize ordinary health services. Now, people acknowledge web application based digital health services. This rapid change raises potential problems such as the sale of illegal drugs, user data theft, and illegal health workers. Unfortunately, the government has not provided actions to respond the issues quickly. There is no law that underlies the implementation of web application. It increases the possibility of other potential problems. Therefore, it is necessary to question the reliability and security of the implementation of the application and the form of legal responsibility of the organizer. This study used a normative juridical method, which is carried out by examining secondary data as the main study material. The study reveals that the reliability and security in the implementation of applications both as an electronic system and as a health service facility can still be optimized. There are two forms of legal responsibility for the application operator, namely liability in the form of obligations and in the form of sanctions.

This article analyzes the criminal governance exercised by the Mexican criminal organ­ization Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), contributing to the scarce information available on this topic. Specifically, we ask how the CJNG has exercised territorial control to ensure the operation of its businesses, mostly concentrated in the production and sale of illegal drugs. Based on a small number of existing studies and publicly available information, we argue that the CJNG relies on a dual system of territorial control consisting of the prioritization of violent coercion vis-à-vis its opponents together with a discourse of protecting Mexicans sustained by selected initiatives to provide security and other basic services to the population to gain legitimacy. This combination has allowed the cartel to grow and expand rapidly over the last decade.