Illegal Market Research Articles

The Street Spirit Has Not Faded Out Just Yet: A Criminological Exploration of the Street Methods of U.K. Ticket Touts in a Time of Bots and Illegal Online Resale

The phenomenon of buying and reselling tickets for profit, known in the United Kingdom as ticket touting, can offer insights into the online–offline overlaps of contemporary illicit-market activities. While the technological advancements of the last decades have revolutionized the way in which tickets for U.K. concerts and sporting events are bought and sold, traditional forms of offline touting are arguably far from extinct. And yet the focus and efforts of campaigners, the media, and of (some) members of parliament have been dedicated entirely to the online aspect of illegal ticket resale. Indeed, legislation banning the use of “bots” to purchase tickets was introduced in 2017, and additional measures that only target the online methods of a so-called new generation of touts are again being considered. Empirical data collected through observations outside music venues and football stadia alongside in-depth qualitative interviews with contemporary touts, however, reveal a very different picture. Not only is street touting surviving and thriving, new evidence suggests that the touts’ traditional street spirit and deviant savoir-faire are now effectively being emulated by the same online resale companies that stakeholders are trying to target. In fact, the failed attempts to curb this much-vilified practice can in part be attributed to a widespread neglect of the touts’ traditional offline practices. In particular, the touts’ use of creative strategies to deceive and manipulate consumers, and to exploit longstanding, favorable connections within the official, primary market, continue to elude experts. The article situates touting alongside other illicit-market phenomena that, although impacted by recent technological innovations, still rely on original forms of offline offending. While street touting is seldom mentioned in the debates on regulating tickets, it is the very connection between the illegal resale market's online and offline aspects that could shed light on the areas that most require attention and reform, beyond technology and the bots.

α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) vs. α-pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone (α-PiHP): A toxicological investigation about plasma concentrations and behavior in forensic routine cases.

New psychoactive substances (NPS), like pyrrolidinophenones, are still very present on the illegal drug market. The presented study reports on two members of this substance group, α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP) and α-pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone (α-PiHP), which occurred in forensic routine cases in the last 6 years. α-PHP could be detected predominantly by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method in 33 authentic human plasma samples and α-PiHP in 8. α-PHP concentrations ranged from ca. 0.75 to 128 µg/L (mean: 23.2, median: 16.3) and α-PiHP concentrations from 7.33 to 118 µg/L (mean: 44.7, median: 33.7, quantified via α-PHP). Individuals were predominantly male and middle aged. As different studies have shown, some pyrrolidinophenones are able to cause aggressive behavior. Therefore, we set out to investigate the relation of α-PHP and α-PiHP plasma concentrations and the behavior of the consumers, reported by police and medical experts. Part of the subjects showed aggressive behavior, including agitation and restlessness. Lethargic and unremarkable behavior might be explained by co-consumption of other drugs, such as opiates/opioids, benzodiazepines, pregabalin or alcohol as well as by drug tolerance and subacute effects of stimulants. Multi-drug use could be detected in all cases; also stimulating substances and multiple different pyrrolidinophenones were determined. Nevertheless, users of α-PHP and α-PiHP showed a tendency to act aggressively, possibly triggered by a high selectivity for dopamine transporter inhibition. In accordance, committed offenses were often violent crimes. This might be considered in terms of toxicological assessment of criminal responsibility and driving ability.

Disposition of Hexahydrocannabinol Epimers and Their Metabolites in Biological Matrices following a Single Administration of Smoked Hexahydrocannabinol: A Preliminary Study.

In 2023, hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) attracted the attention of international agencies due to its rapid spread in the illegal market. Although it was discovered in 1940, less is known about the pharmacology of its two naturally occurring epimers, 9(R)-HHC and 9(S)-HHC. Thus, we aimed to investigate the disposition of hexahydrocannabinol epimers and their metabolites in whole blood, urine and oral fluid following a single controlled administration of a 50:50 mixture of 9(R)-HHC and 9(S)-HHC smoked with tobacco. To this end, six non-user volunteers smoked 25 mg of the HHC mixture in 500 mg of tobacco. Blood and oral fluid were sampled at different time points up to 3 h after the intake, while urine was collected between 0 and 2 h and between 2 and 6 h. The samples were analyzed with a validated HPLC-MS/MS method to quantify 9(R)-HHC, 9(S)-HHC and eight metabolites. 9(R)-HHC showed the highest Cmax and AUC0-3h in all the investigated matrices, with an average concentration 3-fold higher than that of 9(S)-HHC. In oral fluid, no metabolites were detected, while they were observed as glucuronides in urine and blood, but with different profiles. Indeed, 11nor-9(R)-HHC was the most abundant metabolite in blood, while 8(R)OH-9(R) HHC was the most prevalent in urine. Interestingly, 11nor 9(S) COOH HHC was detected only in blood, whereas 8(S)OH-9(S) HHC was detected only in urine.

The Baltic and Nordic responses to the first Taliban poppy ban: Implications for Europe & synthetic opioids today

The 2000–2001 and the 2022–2023 Taliban opium bans were and could be two of the largest ever disruptions to a major illegal drug market. To help understand potential implications of the current ban for Europe, this paper analyzes how opioid markets in seven Baltic and Nordic countries responded to the earlier ban, using literature review, key informant interviews, and secondary data analysis.The seven nations’ markets responded in diverse ways, including rebounding with the same drug (heroin in Norway), substitution to a more potent opioid (fentanyl replacing heroin in Estonia), and substitution to one with lower risk of overdose (buprenorphine replacing heroin in Finland). The responses were not instantaneous, but rather evolved, sometimes over several years.This variety suggests that it can be hard to predict how drug markets will respond to disruptions, but two extreme views can be challenged. It would be naive to imagine that drug markets will not adapt to shocks, but also unduly nihilistic to presume that they will always just bounce back with no lasting effects. Substitution to another way of meeting demand is possible, but that does not always negate fully the benefits of disrupting the original market. Nonetheless, there is historical precedent for a European country's opioid market switching to synthetic opioids when heroin supplies were disrupted. Given how much that switch has increased overdose rates in Canada and the United States, that is a serious concern for Europe at present. A period of reduced opioid supply may be a particularly propitious time to expand treatment services (as Norway did in the early 2000s).

The exogenous model of psychotic experience induced by novel psychoactive substances: A clinical overview

The previous two decades have been marked by profound societal transformations, including ongoing developments in the illegal drug market and the emergence of numerous novel psychoactive substances. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the diverse clinical presentations of psychopathological conditions, particularly within the domain of psychotic symptoms, remains deficient. In this clinical overview, our aim is to provide a detailed analysis of the psychotic manifestations induced by various substances. Exogenous psychoses may present with visual hallucinations, delusional perceptions, and paranoid ideation, frequently accompanied by an ego-dystonic experience that deviate from an individual's customary self-identity. Variations in the presentation of symptoms are also influenced by the specific pharmacological pathways with which the substance interacts. Visual hallucinations characterized by vivid colours and associated with positive or negative emotional experiences are most frequently linked to the serotonergic pathway. Paranoid ideation and auditory hallucinations are primarily associated with the dopaminergic pathways. Dissociative responses, often characterized by feelings of derealization and somatopsychic depersonalization, are typically elicited through glutamatergic pathways. Lastly, the endocannabinoid pathways are associated with anxiety-related psychosis-like states, ideas of reference, grandiose delusions, and paranoid delusions.

Мониторинг результатов химико-токсикологических исследований наркотических средств в Свердловской области в 2021-2023 годах

Introduction. Rapid changes are taking place in the illegal drug market, characterized by dominant positions of new psychoactive substances. In order to describe the structure of the consumption of narcotic drugs and other psychoactive substances in the Sverdlovsk region, it is relevant to study the data obtained during chemical-toxicological researches as part of a medical examination for intoxication, in laboratory diagnostics of acute poisoning and forensic chemical examinations. Aim of the study. Retrospective assessment of the detection of cases of use of various types of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and new psychoactive substances during chemical-toxicological and forensic chemical studies in the Sverdlovsk Region in 2021-2023. Materials and methods. Logical, retrospective, comparative and content analysis of data from the results of chemical and toxicological studies of the Regional Narcological Clinic (Ekaterinburg), Sverdlovsk Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital and Psychiatric Hospital No. 7 for 2021-2023 was carried out. Statistical processing of the results was performed using MS Excel for Windows and Statistica for Windows. Results. The leading position among the substances detected during a medical examination for intoxication is occupied by synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids. The largest number of acute poisonings is associated with the use of narcotic drugs, psychostimulating substances (α‑pyrrolidinovalerophenone and mephedrone), as well as opiates and opioids. Discussion. A retrospective analysis of the results of chemical and toxicological studies of biological fluids of drug users showed that the detectability of various compounds changes over time in the Sverdlovsk region according to data for 2021-2023. During a medical examination for intoxication and during the diagnosis of acute poisoning, «traditional» narcotic drugs are still identified in all areas of chemical and toxicological research, but at present new psychoactive substances of synthetic origin predominate in illegal circulation. Conclusion. Analysis of the results of chemical-toxicological in the Sverdlovsk region in 2021–2023 allowed us to conclude that the detection of new psychoactive substances is prevalent while the detection of «traditional» drugs is stable.

Species Identification of Totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) From Swim Bladders by Real‐Time Fluorescence‐Based Recombinase‐Aided Amplification

The increased illegal fishing to supply swim bladders is the current threat to the Totoaba macdonaldi, due to the high commercial value of swim bladders. Species identification is the foundation of the endangered animal protection. Limited by the sophisticated thermal cycling, specialized machine, and sequencing costs, DNA barcoding might not better satisfy the needs of on‐site inspection to the efficiency, convenience, and low cost, although it has reliable results and has been widely used. It is necessary to establish a convenient, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for customs to inspect the swim bladders in legal or illegal trade on site. In this study, we introduce real‐time fluorescence‐based recombinase‐aided amplification (RF‐RAA) into species identification of swim bladders. Specific primers and probes targeted to Totoaba macdonaldi were designed and the reaction temperature and time were screened. It was applied to the forensic identification of swim bladders confiscated by custom after its sensitivity and specificity were verified. The results showed that (1) the primers of TMcytB F1 and TMcytB R3 targeted to the Cytb had a good amplification at 39°C, 30 cycles (15 min) with good repeatability and stability; (2) the method had good specificity and no cross‐reaction with other 22 swim bladder originated species; (3) the lowest detectable limit (LDL) of this method was 3.7 × 101 copies/μL; (4) about 1.836 kg of all the swim bladders confiscated by Shenzhen customs on 2022 were identified to be Totoaba macdonaldi by using this method. This study provides an effective species identification alternative for competent authorities to tackle the illegal import and market regulation of totoaba swim bladders.

The Impact of New Regulations on Prevention and Control of E-Cigarettes on Adolescents in Middle Schools - A City in China, 2022-2023.

To protect the health of young people from the harmful impacts of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), China has enacted various policies and regulations since 2018. As of October 1, 2022, the Electronic Cigarette Management Measures were put into action. They prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, permitting only those of plain tobacco flavor to be sold. The illegal market for flavored e-cigarettes, often disguised as milk tea cups, cola cans, and violent bear images, continues to flourish. There is an increased need to bolster support for the prohibition of flavored e-cigarettes and enhance public awareness of associated regulations. To advance the health of China's youth, it is crucial to improve the implementation and understanding of e-cigarette policies and guidelines.

Understanding the Demand-Side of an Illegal Market: Prohibition of Menthol Cigarettes

Understanding the Demand-Side of an Illegal Market: Prohibition of Menthol Cigarettes

Produção imobiliária em periferias de São Paulo: ilegalismos sob lógica rentista

Abstract The production of São Paulo's peripheral territories has changed due to the crisis in salaried employment, changes in socio-economic profile, access to credit, public housing policies, and the formation of a multi-scalar market arbitrated by illegal market operators. Entrepreneurial business networks, including real estate, have emerged as an investment opportunity for the money accumulated in these territories. New buildings in border areas with a rent-seeking use point to new power arrangements based on illegalisms that articulate scales in a market-based production, disputing the forms of political association of the previous period. The methodology is based on secondary sources and direct field research in São Paulo's slums, carried out by a multidiscipli nary team over the last five years.

Exploiting the synergistic effects of combined carbon‐based materials for rape drug diazepam electrochemical sensing: Application to simulated casework matrices

AbstractDiazepam (DZP), a long‐lasting benzodiazepine and controlled substance, is prevalent on the illegal market, notably as a date rape drug. This study presents a novel electrochemical sensor (CPE/GCPE/MWCNTs) for DZP determination in lab routines. Characterized through LSV, EIS, and SEM, the sensor revealed a pH‐dependent, irreversible reduction process at approximately −0.70 V (vs. Ag/AgCl(sat)). Optimization with SWV and 0.1 mol L−1 B–R solution (pH 1.0) produced a calibration curve spanning 1.49 to 21.5 μmol L−1. LOD and LOQ were 0.33 and 1.10 μmol L−1, respectively. Quantification in spiked samples exhibited no significant differences compared to HPLC‐DAD, endorsing the sensor for monitoring date rape drugs in forensic analysis.

Organized forms of crime in the companion animals market – criminological study

The subject of the study is the illegal market for companion animals in Poland. This issue falls within the scope of a paradigm in criminology referred to as “green criminology”. The subject undertaken in the study is part of the social discourse on the legal protection of pet animals. The work is of innovative nature, as the phenomenon of the illegal companion animal market has not been the subject of criminological research in the Polish literature. The research might have an implication dimension and can contribute to setting the direction of criminal policy in the area of green crime. The aim of the study is to depict the phenomenon of the illegal companion animal market in Poland, to determine whether organized criminal groups are involved in illegal practices, to determine the structure of crime, and to analyze the legal regulations in terms of their effectiveness. The results of the research might be helpful in identifying areas of importance for countering pathologies in the animal market.

Characteristics and Obtainment Methods of Firearms Used in Adolescent School Shootings

Within gun violence research, the types of firearms involved in US school shootings and the origins of these weapons have not been well explored. To examine the type, make, and power of firearms involved in school-related gun violence as well as the sources and methods through which adolescents obtained these weapons. This cross-sectional study used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to analyze 253 school shootings executed by 262 adolescents (aged ≤19 years) in the US from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2016, and to calculate adjusted estimates for missing cases. The data were sourced from The American School Shooting Study (TASSS), which compiles information about these shooting events from open-source materials. Data analysis was performed from June 23, 2023, to July 20, 2023. Firearm type, make, and power. The firearm type refers to whether a weapon was a handgun, rifle, or shotgun. The firearm's make differentiates semiautomatic or fully automatic guns from other action mechanisms. The firearm's power refers to the caliber and velocity, distinguished as small, moderate, or higher power. The acquisition source captures from whom the firearm was received. The obtainment method refers to how the shooter obtained the firearm. Estimates were adjusted by total number of documents and TASSS reliability score as well as neighborhood demographic, socioeconomic, and land use variables measured at the census tract level, and were weighted to account for item nonresponse. A total of 262 adolescents (mean [SD] age, 16.2 [1.9] years; 256 [97.8%] male) were studied. In the adjusted analyses, handguns were the most used weapon in school shootings (85.5%; 95% CI, 80.6%-89.4%). Firearms were predominantly lower (37.0%; 95% CI, 29.9%-44.7%) or moderate (39.7%; 95% CI, 32.0%-47.8%) in power. Adolescents mainly obtained their guns from relatives (41.8%; 95% CI, 31.7%-52.6%), friends or acquaintances (22.0%; 95% CI, 13.2%-34.5%), the illegal market (29.6%; 95% CI, 19.3%-42.5%), strangers or persons who were shot (4.7%; 95% CI, 1.8%-11.6%), or licensed dealers (1.9%; 95% CI, 0.7%-5.2%). Most firearms were procured via theft from relatives (82.1%; 95% CI, 69.4%-90.3%). Despite the more frequent use of lower to moderately powered firearms in school shootings, this study's results indicated stability in the use of high-powered weapons in adolescent school shootings throughout the research timeframe. A majority of the firearms were procured from the perpetrator's family or relatives or from friends or acquaintances. These findings may significantly influence discussions around gun control policy, particularly in advocating for secure firearm storage to reduce adolescents' access to weapons.

Characterization of the pyrolysis patterns of 44 synthetic cannabinoids and their application in illicit drug analysis

The toxicological research and analysis of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have been the focus of scientists. SCs often cause severe acute intoxication after smoking, which may be related to the pyrolysis products formed during the heating process. However, the toxicology studies in vitro and in vivo are hampered by the lack of data on pyrolysis products. Moreover, SCs are diverse and rapidly updated, and the detection of SCs is always a step behind the changes in the illegal market. Here, 44 SCs were analyzed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at 300, 600, and 800 ℃, respectively. The pyrolysis patterns of different SCs under the oxygen-free condition were proposed, based on the pyrolysis products. The shared and characteristic pyrolysis products of 44 SCs were obtained and employed as analytical markers for SCs identification. SCs in one seized e-liquid sample were accurately identified on the basis of the shared and characteristic pyrolysis products. The pyrogram profiles obtained by pyrolyzing SC standards at 600 ℃ were characteristic and reproducible. Therefore, a pyrogram library containing 44 entries for SCs was built through Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The pyrogram fingerprinting was used to identify eight unknown SC powders successfully. The results demonstrate the great potential of the pyrolysis pattern of SCs in drug analysis.

Tracing the shadows: Inside the European illegal arms market – the case of Poland

Tracing the shadows: Inside the European illegal arms market – the case of Poland

The Asymmetry of Embeddedness: Illegal Trade Networks and Drug Purchasing Diversity on an Online Illegal Drug Market

Abstract While economic sociology research and theory argue that excessive network embeddedness depresses competition in illegal markets, prior research does not examine how distinct types of embeddedness may have asymmetric effects on the diversity of purchasing behavior—the range of illegal goods that buyers typically purchase. This study considers how network embeddedness can positively or negatively affect drug purchasing diversity in online drug markets by referring buyers to new vendors or “locking” buyers into recurrent trade for the same products. We analyze novel network data on 16,847 illegal drug exchanges between 7205 actors on one online illegal drug market. Consistent with hypothesized network asymmetry, buyers are more likely to purchase a new type of drug when the transaction is part of an indirect network referral. Although histories of exchange increase the overall frequency of drug purchasing, they are associated with decreases in new drug-type purchases. In the aggregate, these processes either contribute to an integrated market where buyers purchase multiple drugs from multiple vendors (in the case of referrals) or a fragmented market characterized by recurrent trade from the same vendors for the same substances (in the case of repeated trade). We discuss the implications of these findings for research on embeddedness, illegal markets, risky exchange, and drug policy.

Weeding out the dealers? The economics of cannabis legalization

We model consumer choices for recreational cannabis in a risky environment and its supply under prohibition and legalization. While legalization reduces the profits of illegal providers, it increases cannabis consumption. This trade-off can be overcome by combining legalization with sanctions against the black market, and improvements to the quality of legal products. Numerical calibrations highlight how a policy mix can control the increase in cannabis consumption and throttle the illegal market. In the US, the eviction prices we predict to drive dealers out of business are much lower than the prices of legal cannabis in most of the states that opted for legalization, leaving room for the black market to flourish. Analyzing the compatibility of several policy goals sheds light on the less favorable outcomes of recent legalization reforms and suggests a new way forward.

Imperial Gift

Abstract This article theorizes and historicizes soap, a medical “gift” distributed by the US military to villages and hamlets in South Vietnam, as a commodity and as an infrastructure in the American war in Vietnam. During the war, soap not only operated as a tool to clean those the US military deemed dirty and uncivilized but also brokered the ideological movement of empire from the nation-state to the occupied regions of the Vietnamese South. Wartime US humanitarianism proffered soap as a counterinsurgent weapon of soft power and as an infrastructural poetic that securitized US empire against the rising tide of communist insurgency. Reading against the hegemonic archival practices that venerate the gifting of soap as benevolent militarism, the article moves to examine the anarchic practice of South Vietnamese black marketeering, which redeployed soap as an illegal market commodity to intercept the movement of US empire and, as a practice that arose in response to wartime capitalism and militarization, allowed natives to command new social relations at the cost of disrupting the Republic of Vietnam’s flows of capital and the United States’ ongoing war campaign. As an informal, opaque, and yet thriving infrastructure of its own, the black market fostered insurgent survival strategies that repurposed military supplies and gifts as versatile commodities, allowing even soap to escape its original containment as a civilizing agent and giving it new uses and meanings.

Police officer perceptions towards drug liberalization policies in the context of an overdose crisis in British Columbia, Canada

Background British Columbia, Canada, is experiencing an overdose crisis that has pushed drug liberalization policies to the forefront of the response. This study examines police officers’ perceptions of enforcement and drug liberalization policies, including support for decriminalization and regulation or ‘safer supply’, in this context. Methods Qualitative interview data were collected in September-November 2020 from active police officers involved in drug law enforcement in British Columbia, prior to decriminalization reforms being introduced in the province. We conducted a thematic analysis of this data with a focus on police officer views towards drug enforcement and drug liberalization policies. Results Policing and reforms amid the overdose crisis has shaped officer perceptions and actions towards illegal drugs and drug policies. Although officers saw overdose as a health issue, these views coincided with a strong emphasis on supply-side policing, such as drug trafficking investigations. Policing continues to be entrenched in the overdose crisis, which has impacted the way police officers view drugs and drug use, particularly, their belief that current interventions to disrupt the illegal drug market are not working. Conclusion This study advances knowledge on the motivations for promoting drug enforcement, and enacting drug policies, in the context of an overdose crisis.

International Law Enforcement Observer XI.

Aim: The presentation of foreign literature on law enforcement is a basic task of Rendészeti Figyelő. This time, however, we would like to provide students of Law Enforcement Doctoral School with direct methodological assistance in order to help them to draw from foreign language sources as effectively as possible when developing their research topics and writing their dissertations. With this commitment, the reviews of Árpád Budavári and Zsolt Lippai are given space. Both have chosen valuable foreign sources for their doctoral thesis topics.Methodology: Among the methodological innovations in the world scientific literature, this Figyelő offers fresh ideas in two areas. Gergely Hlavacska draws attention to the following: "Drug policy (drug control) ... is shifting away from traditional criminal justice solutions towards harm reduction. This is reflected in the increasing number of diversionary schemes coordinated by the police as an alternative to criminalisation." Drug policy is seen as part of a law enforcement strategy, in which the decisive factor is the choice of the political forces that have gained power in government between pro-strength and pro-aid regimes. Hlavacska's review outlines a pattern in which a smart response to crime listens to the opinions of police professionals. The liquidation of illegal drug market bases is one of the most difficult areas, where really big successes are rare. The criminologists of the fight against drugs know that failures against distribution networks are not mitigated by the exposure of consumers. Police culture has plenty of experience of how justice often penalises those who are victims rather than perpetrators of drug crime. The second methodological lesson emerges in the work of Ákos Erdélyi, who points out that the militarisation of policing is not exclusively a subject of research in police or defence studies. "The process of militarisation has, by its very nature, in the vast majority of cases been examined from some police science or defence policy perspective; the authors of this study, however, are representatives of psychology..." The researchers arrived at these findings through extensive use of well-designed questionnaires.Findings: In drug strategies, the curative (medicalising) tendencies can be strengthened where police experience is matched by sufficient professional authority, which can only be put to good use by the democratic functioning of political power. The military or civilian nature of law enforcement personnel can provoke controversial reactions from the public: "The results show that the public tends to have negative attitudes towards officers wearing certain militarised attire, including in terms of approachability, confidence and morality. At the same time, public perception is that these officers are stronger, more confident and more prepared for threatening behaviour/dangerous situations." Tamás Skorka gives an example of war communication, reporting on a study that presents the inhuman world of Russian aggression against Ukraine.Value: The studies show that law enforcement authorities involved in maintaining public order and safeguarding public security require an internal and multidisciplinary assessment of their activities, which can significantly improve the professional quality of law enforcement services and enhance their social acceptance.