Drug crime transformation under the effect of online platforms

Abstract

Many types of drug crimes are already known, but it is common to offender groups to implement them in an organised, coordinated, multi-level framework. Affected by online platforms, drug crimes are undergoing a transformation that presents new challenges for the authorities. Criminal groups also like to (re)take the opportunities offered by the Internet. Platforms that connect to the Dark Web, the Dark Internet (secret network form), have become increasingly popular over the past few years, thanks to the fact that there are also services available which are not available by traditional browsers. Coordinated cooperation between several countries, over several years, is needed to ensure successful detection in cyberspace. This is illustrated by a current EUROPOL report, published on 12 January 2021, which shows that a successful liquidation has occurred in the case of DarkMarket, one of the largest illegal marketplaces, requiring the cooperation of several European Union Member States and several non-European Union countries. In the face of the coronavirus epidemic, organised crime groups are still trying to remain active and resilient, which is not a challenge in the online space at this time, although drug delivery models needed to be changed, but they are trying to maintain the constant cycle of the market through their hiding methods. In my study, I am also looking for answers how the detection and recovery of criminal property is carried out at national and international level, in cases where drug crime takes place in the online space. What is the path of illegally acquired criminal property, how can financial profiling be carried out in these cases? In case of drug offences, we are talking about a special asset recovery where is no victim demanded, because there are very few known victims existing. With my study, I intend to capture the current topicality of drug crime, by detecting methods of committing crimes in the online space, internationally and domestically, and by exploring the current processes of asset discovery and recovery. In this way, I wish to provide results that can be used by the profession.