Illicit Distribution Research Articles

Sosialisasi Peraturan Daerah Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan Nomor 5 Tahun 2022 Tentang Fasilitas Pencegahan dan Pemberantasan Penyalagunaan, Peredaran Gelap Narkotika, dan Prekursor Narkotika

One of the problems in South Sulawesi is the factor of narcotics abuse and distribution, so recently regional regulation No. 5 of 2022 concerning facilities for preventing and eradicating the misuse and illicit traffic of narcotics and narcotics precursors. The solution is conducting outreach by holding legal seminars in the KKN-T work program. This socialization aims to discover policies on prevention, abuse, and illicit distribution of narcotics and narcotics precursors. Therefore, from the results of the research and discussion, this legal seminar activity made us fully understand the effectiveness of the South Sulawesi provincial regulation number 5 of 2022. Concerning facilities for preventing and eradicating the abuse and illicit traffic of narcotics and narcotics precursors as well as the quality dimensions of a program ( P4GN), is considered effective. However, it is necessary to have adequate facilities and infrastructure as well as other programs that support eradicating, abusing, and illicit narcotics (P4GN). This paper aims to empower all the potential at all levels of society to consciously carry out movements to oppose/reject the abuse and eradication of illicit narcotics and narcotics precursors

Falsified Alcohol: Multidisciplinary Forensic and Pharmaceutical, Criminal and Legal, Clinical and Pharmacological Study of Circulation and Factors of Destruction of Human Body

Falsified alcohol, also known as counterfeit or illicit alcohol, is a pervasive problem worldwide, posing serious threats to public health and safety. This abstract provides an overview of a multidisciplinary study that delves into the various aspects of falsified alcohol, including forensic and pharmaceutical, criminal and legal, clinical and pharmacological perspectives, with a focus on its circulation and the factors that contribute to its detrimental effects on the human body. Forensic and pharmaceutical analyses play a crucial role in the identification and characterization of falsified alcohol. Additionally, pharmaceutical investigations explore the packaging, labeling, and branding of falsified alcohol, uncovering the intricate web of counterfeit alcohol production and distribution networks. The criminal and legal aspects of falsified alcohol encompass a wide range of issues, including the illicit production, sale, and distribution of counterfeit alcohol, as well as the legal ramifications for those involved in its trade. This study examines the various criminal activities associated with falsified alcohol, such as smuggling, counterfeiting, and fraud, and the legal frameworks in place to combat these activities, including international conventions, regulations, and enforcement strategies. The clinical and pharmacological aspects of falsified alcohol delve into the health consequences of consuming counterfeit alcohol. Falsified alcohol can cause severe adverse effects on the human body, ranging from acute intoxication to long-term health damage, including organ failure, blindness, and even death. This study explores the clinical manifestations of falsified alcohol poisoning, the challenges in diagnosing and treating its victims, and the pharmacological mechanisms underlying its toxic effects. Furthermore, this study researches the circulation of falsified alcohol, including its routes of distribution, the key players involved in its trade, and the socioeconomic factors that contribute to its proliferation. The study also explores the factors that contribute to the destruction of the human body by falsified alcohol, including the chemical composition of counterfeit alcohol, the dose and duration of exposure, and the susceptibility of individuals to its toxic effects based on factors such as age, gender, genetics, and comorbidities. In conclusion, falsified alcohol poses significant threats to public health and safety, requiring a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensively understand its circulation and the factors that contribute to its detrimental effects on the human body. This study provides insights from forensic and pharmaceutical, criminal and legal, clinical and pharmacological perspectives, shedding light on the complexities of falsified alcohol and the need for concerted efforts from various disciplines to combat this pressing public health issue.

Dazed and Confused: Difficulties for Law Enforcement During Oregon’s Transition to a Legal Marijuana Market

As more states legalize recreational cannabis, questions remain about the impact of this transition for police who continue to be responsible for enforcing laws governing illicit production and distribution of the drug, use of the substance in prohibited settings, and possession by juveniles. Legalization may also lead to additional responsibilities, including policing homegrown cannabis and licensed businesses involved in cultivating, processing, and selling the drug. Documenting the experience of law enforcement officers in states that have already transitioned to a legal market may provide important insights into the implementation of cannabis policies in other jurisdictions. The present study surveyed 301 law enforcement officers in Oregon three years after the state legalized recreational marijuana. Results indicate that officers perceive increases in many marijuana-related problems following legalization and most officers report that the state’s revised statutes are confusing and difficult to enforce. Implications for public policy are discussed.

The distribution of fake Australian vaccine digital certificates on an alt-tech platform

This paper provides the first exploration of the online distribution of fake Australian COVID-19 vaccine certificates. Drawing on a collection of 2589 posts between five distributors and their community members on the alt-tech platform Gab, this study gathers key insights into the mechanics of illicit vaccine certificate distribution. The qualitative findings in this research demonstrate the various motivations and binding ideologies that underpinned this illicit distribution (e.g. anti-vaccine and anti-surveillance motivations); the unique cybercultural aspects of this online illicit network (e.g. ‘crowdsourcing’ the creation of fake vaccine passes); and how the online community was used to share information on the risks of engaging in this illicit service, setting the appropriate contexts of using fake vaccine passes, and the evasion of guardians in offline settings. Implications for future research in cybercrime, illicit networks, and organised crime in digital spaces are discussed.

Optimization and development of novel green extraction methods applied to apprehended slimming agents containing mazindol

Over the years, cases of obesity and overweight have grown to epidemic proportions enhancing the consumption of anorectic agents by therapeutic and illegal means. Their consumption is controlled worldwide and can be linked to various adverse effects. In cases of illicit distribution, samples have to be characterized highlighting the necessity to develop and optimize analytical methods to analyze these compounds. Recently, usage of green chemistry concepts gained critical importance as analytical protocols should target less amount of waste, low reagent quantity and should use of less toxic to non-toxic materials. Therefore, the aim of this study was to optimize the microwave-assisted extraction for mazindol evaluating the effects of power, time and solvent type in the extraction process by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Optimization of the microwave assisted extraction showed a variation of results when changing solvents, with the maximum concentration extracted of mazindol reaching as much as 0.087 ± 0.002 mg. mL−1 when using ethanol, 0.078 ± 0.005 mg. mL−1 using acetonitrile and 0.062 ± 0.005 mg. mL−1 in methanol. Moreover, time had an important impact in the results as the extracted concentration increased along with analysis time. However, increasing power outputs the efficiency of the extraction decreased indicating a sample degradation with higher intensity of microwave irradiation. Therefore, a novel optimized protocol for the analysis of mazindol was developed obtained satisfactory results using a non-toxic solvent, adequate analysis time and mild extraction conditions.

Analysis of Digital Data by File Signature Method on Android Version 9

Objective: The use of smartphones has exponentially increased over the past decade. Nowadays the use of a cellphone has not just been restricted to make calls, but it's also actively used to connect people throughout the globe through social media and sharing multimedia files over the internet. Smartphones have made these things possible and easily available with just a single touch. But along with this development and digitalization, an increase in the rate of cybercrime has also surfaced, which includes crime like illicit possession, distribution, and modification of multimedia files. Hence, smartphones are seen as a rich source of evidence-based on the crimes discussed. This process is carried out to analyze smartphone‟s multimedia files to determine their origin and to verify if the multimedia files originated from the same device or transferred through any process. Methods: An examiner must analyze, recover, and authenticate the files stored in a smartphone device. Android version 9 was used for analysis since it is the most common and abundant platform generally found in most people‟s phones. Examination of computer file is achieved by analyzing the file in hexadecimal editor software, the software used in this analysis is HxD. Results: File signature and metadata analysis of smartphones‟ multimedia files was performed to render the source of the files. Conclusion: The conducted file signature and metadata analysis clearly stated that by using hexadecimal editor softwareHxD origin and source of smartphones‟ multimedia file can be rendered.

Detecting Digital Watermarking Image Attacks Using a Convolution Neural Network Approach

In scientific research, one of the most significant problems of recent years has been and continues to be the protection of digital material. The advancement of Internet technology has allowed for the illicit duplication, authentication, and distribution of digital material by unauthorized individuals. For this reason, a variety of watermarking systems have been investigated for a variety of purposes, including broadcast monitoring, intellectual property protection, content authentication, and copy control. There are various types of the watermarking image attacks that impact the quality of the images; therefore, it is critical to ensure that watermarked digital images can withstand these kinds of attacks. Hence, novelty of the proposed research is to develop approaches to detect these attacks which becomes very important to guarantee a sufficient quality of watermarking images. In this paper, a deep learning method based on a convolution neural network (CNN) algorithm was proposed to detect various types of watermarking attacks, namely, median filter, Gaussian filter, salt-and-pepper, average filter, motion blur, and no attack, to improve the watermarking quality. Evaluation metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and the normalization correlation (NC) were employed to examine the invisibility and robustness of the watermarking images. The empirical results of the CNN model show good performance for detecting watermarking attacks with different sizes (256, 128, and 64). The accuracy percentage of the testing process was 98%. A highly efficient CNN approach was developed. Very high performance of NC was found in the detection of the salt-and-pepper attack (99.02%, 99.97%, and 99.49% with respect to watermarking image sizes of 256 × 256, 128 × 128, and 64 × 64, respectively). The study concludes that the CNN model is able to detect watermarking attacks successfully.

Synthetic Cannabinoids in Prisons: Content Analysis of TikToks.

Synthetic cannabinoids are a significant public health concern, especially among incarcerated populations due to increased reports of abuse. Recent news reports have highlighted the severe consequences of K2/Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid, among the prison population in the United States. Despite regulations against cell phone use, inmates use TikTok to post K2/Spice-related content. This study aimed to examine TikTok posts for use and illicit distribution of psychoactive substances (eg, K2/Spice) among incarcerated populations. The study collected TikTok videos associated with the #k2spice hashtag and used a data collection approach similar to snowball sampling. Inductive coding was used to conduct content analysis of video characteristics. Videos were manually annotated to generate binary classifications related to the use of K2/Spice as well as selling and buying activities associated with it. Statistical analysis was used to determine associations between a video's user engagement and an intent to buy or sell K2/Spice. A total of 89 TikTok videos with the hashtag #k2spice were manually coded, with 40% (n=36) identified as displaying the use, solicitation, or adverse effects of K2/Spice among the prison population. Of them, 44.44% (n=16) were in a prison-based setting documenting adverse effects including possible overdose. Videos with higher user engagement were positively correlated with comments indicating an intent to buy or sell K2/Spice. K2/Spice is a drug subject to abuse among prison inmates in the United States, including depictions of its harmful effects being recorded and shared on TikTok. Lack of policy enforcement on TikTok and the need for better access to treatment services within the prison system may be exacerbating substance use among this highly vulnerable population. Minimizing the potential individual harm of this content on the incarcerated population should be a priority for social media platforms and the criminal justice system alike.

Paraformaldehyde-coated electrochemical sensor for improved on-site detection of amphetamine in street samples

The increasing illicit production, distribution and abuse of amphetamine (AMP) poses a challenge for law enforcement worldwide. To effectively combat this issue, fast and portable tools for the on-site screening of suspicious samples are required. Electrochemical profile (EP)-based sensing of illicit drugs has proven to be a viable option for this purpose as it allows rapid voltammetric measurements via the use of disposable and low-cost graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). In this work, a highly practical paraformaldehyde (PFA)-coated sensor, which unlocks the detectability of primary amines through derivatization, is developed for the on-site detection of AMP in seized drug samples. A potential interval was defined at the sole AMP peak (which is used for identification of the target analyte) to account for potential shifts due to fluctuations in concentration and temperature, which are relevant factors for on-site use. Importantly, it was found that AMP detection was not hindered by the presence of common diluents and adulterants such as caffeine, even when present in high amounts. When inter-drug differentiation is desired, a simultaneous second test with the same solution on an unmodified electrode is introduced to provide the required additional electrochemical information. Finally, the concept was validated by analyzing 30 seized AMP samples (reaching a sensitivity of 96.7 %) and comparing its performance to that of commercially available Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) devices.

Internet of Things-Based Data Hiding Scheme for Wireless Communication

The substantial rise of information technology has facilitated the methods of access to digital information and internet of things (IOT). Digital image processing handles the digital material to store and distribute more effectively with decreased time and space complexity. However, these tactics undermine the privacy of digital materials. A recent study focuses on shielding digital materials from illicit use and distribution by making reversible data strategies to tackle the risk of privacy breaches for digital content. In this study, a composite reversible data hiding (CRDH) approach is suggested. CRDH employed the integer wavelet transform (HAAR transform) with the HH band’s eigenvalue decomposition. The suggested CRDH first performed the IWT transformation on the cover image (CI) and parsed it into four consecutive frequency subbands, namely, LL, HL, LH, and HH. Sensitive data of the proposed approach are incorporated by merging the HH band of the cover image’s individual values with the encrypted eigenvalues of the confidential data. The choosing of casing art is such a method that values are within a range. The confidential data picture and HH band’s frequency band are roughly the same; thus, modifying the individual values will not affect the quality of the confidential data image and the HH band’s content. The suggested strategy’s primary purpose is to design a data concealing technique that hinders the verification of digital information by maintaining a high rate of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The PSNR of the existing technology is less than 50 per cent of the total accessible data set. The PSNR value shows the picture’s visual quality, where the PSNR increases the better image quality. Therefore, concealing data is essential for the technique that inhibits authentication and keeps a high rate of PSNR. The suggested approach fulfils this aim, gets a PSNR rate of above 50 per cent, and hits 59 per cent for line.

Illicit Alcohol: Public Health Risk of Methanol Poisoning and Policy Mitigation Strategies.

Illicit (unrecorded) alcohol is a critical global public health issue because it is produced without regulatory and market oversight with increased risk of safety, quality and adulteration issues. Undertaking iterative research to draw together academic, contemporary and historic evidence, this paper reviews one specific toxicological issue, methanol, in order to identify the policy mitigation strategies of interest. A typology of illicit alcohol products, including legal products, illegal products and surrogate products, is created. A policy landscape matrix is produced that synthesizes the drivers of illicit alcohol production, distribution, sale and consumption, policy measures and activity related signals in order to inform policy development. The matrix illustrates the interaction between capabilities, motivations and opportunities and factors such as access, culture, community norms and behavior, economic drivers and knowledge and information and gives insight into mitigation strategies against illicit alcohol sale and consumption, which may prove of value for policymakers in various parts of the world.

СТАРТОВІ ПІСТОЛЕТИ Й РЕВОЛЬВЕРИ: ПРАВОВЕ РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ОБІГУ ТА КРИМІНАЛІСТИЧНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ

The article deals with the problematic issues of circulation and expert research of products, which are classified by the manufacturer as alarming and signaling weapons, as well as starting pistols and revolvers. The history of origin, evolution and distribution of these objects of ballistic origin in Ukraine and in the world is reviewed. The experience of expert practice of forensic investigation of these devices in the units of the Expert Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is analyzed and its comparison with the experience of expert evaluation of these products by employees of expert institutions of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. A detailed study of the design features of the most common samples of firearms made by processing products classified by the manufacturer as alarms and alarms, as well as starting pistols and revolvers. Ways to make changes in their design of inverse and irreversible changes in order to bring into a state suitable for firing kinetic projectiles. The methods used by forensic experts in forensic investigation and testing of objects with firearms not classified by the manufacturer for household, sports and special purpose products are described in detail. Examples of illicit trafficking, distribution and use of these products as firearms during the commission of crimes are given. The normative documents that regulate the order of circulation in Ukraine of products with the characteristics of firearms, which the manufacturer classifies as devices of household, sports and special purpose, are analyzed. The basic requirements for alarming and signaling weapons, as well as starting pistols and revolvers by national standards and methods of ballistic examination are considered. The problematic aspects of the Ukrainian national legislation in the sphere of circulation of firearms objects and their consequences for the state are investigated. On the basis of the analysis of the European experience in regulating the circulation of alarm and signal weapons, ways of improving the national legal acts regulating the circulation of similar products in Ukraine have been proposed.

Current state and some issues of countering illegal trafficking in goods in Ukraine

The aim of the article is to investigate the current state of illegal merchandise trafficking in Ukraine, as well as the basic conditions that promote the spread of counterfeiting in this country together with the methods to counteract this phenomenon. The research methodology was chosen based on the purpose and objectives of the study, consequently, a set of methods and approaches to scientific knowledge were combined, of a general theoretical and special scientific nature. Everything indicates that Ukraine is one of the world leaders in the illicit production and distribution of software, intellectual property, etc., and this problem has not been a priority for the authorities for a long time. It is concluded that the basic conditions that promote the spread of counterfeiting in Ukraine are determined on the basis of the analysis of the activities of the police and supervisory authorities in the fight against illegal trafficking of goods. The most efficient methods are proposed to counteract the illegal traffic of goods, within the framework of the underground economy in Ukraine.

On the Performance of Temporal Stacking and Vegetation Indices for Detection and Estimation of Tobacco Crop

Machine learning in association with remote sensing has assisted agricultural specialists in monitoring, classification and yield estimation of crops. Tobacco is a major taxable crop of Pakistan, however the existing traditional methods for its monitoring and yield estimation are not only expensive and time consuming but also have limitations in terms of accuracy of collected data by a large number of diverse human surveyors. Due to the existence of such loopholes in the employed mechanism for tobacco crop monitoring and yield estimation, its illicit growth and distribution is on the rise. In this paper we have established a sophisticated machine learning mechanism for tobacco crop estimation using temporally stacked sentinel-2 satellite's data of Pakistan. Instead of the conventional approach of using single remotely sensed imagery for the target crop classification, we propose a machine learning based classification algorithm while keeping in view the phonological cycle of the target tobacco crop. Using the proposed mechanism, the temporal variations within the tobacco crop and its association with the variations of other vegetation is considered to improve the classification performance of the employed machine learning algorithm. Furthermore, the impact of stacking the vegetation indices derived from near infrared and vegetation red edge bands of sentinel-2 with the original sentinel-2 datasets, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Index 45 (NDI45), on the classification performance of the machine learning mechanism is investigated. Ground Truth data for training of our Artificial Neural Networks classifier, was obtained using indigenously developed survey application “GEOSurvey”. Experiments were conducted using our proposed mechanism while considering various input data setups - including single date imagery, temporally stacked datasets based on phonological cycle of tobacco crop and different combinations of NDVI and NDI45 stacking. Our proposed experimental setup consisting of temporally stacked imagery along with NDVI stacking results in the best classification performance of 95.81% with reference to the single date imagery stacked with NDVI and NDI45, with performance gain of 07.32%.

Аспекти вдосконалення діяльності підрозділів ювенальної превенції Національної поліції України з протидії наркоманії

Purpose. After analyzing the activities of juvenile prevention units of the National Police of Ukraine to combat drug addiction, we aim in this article to explore the tasks and functions of juvenile prevention units in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine. To generalize the current problems of the juvenile prevention units and to conduct a scientific study of the spread of drug addiction in modern society. Systematize proposals to improve counteraction to this phenomenon by juvenile prevention units. Methodology. In accordance with the purpose and specifics of the subject of research, the author used the method of systematic analysis, generalization, comparative method, functional and other methods of scientific knowledge. The scientific novelty of the publication lies in the systematic analysis of the activities of the juvenile prevention units of the National Police of Ukraine in combating drug addiction. The powers of juvenile prevention units to combat drug addiction in children are summarized. The need to improve the activities not only of juvenile prevention units, but also of other units to combat drug addiction was argued. The author’s approach to improving the activities of juvenile prevention units to combat drug addiction is proposed and proposals are made to the Instruction on the organization of juvenile prevention units of the National Police of Ukraine, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of 19.12.2017 № 1044. Based on the results of the research, the author’s conclusions are formulated: 1) The activity of the juvenile prevention units of the National Police of Ukraine needs to be improved; 2) section II item 1 needs to be supplemented. Instructions on the organization of work of juvenile prevention units of the National Police of Ukraine, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of 19.12.2017 № 1044, the following provisions: 1) Preventive activities aimed at preventing the spread and use of narcotic drugs and their analogues in the children’s environment, identifying the causes and conditions that contribute to this, taking measures within their competence to eliminate them. 2) Maintaining preventive records of children prone to the spread and use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues, as well as committing offenses and conducting individual prevention measures with them. 3) Keeping records and monitoring of children living in families in which at least one parent has been prosecuted for the illicit use, manufacture and distribution of narcotic drugs and their analogues, or who is diagnosed with drug addiction. 4) Taking measures to prevent and combat domestic violence, especially to force the child to use and distribute narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues. Keywords: child; children’s environment; activity; juvenile prevention units; counteraction; drug addiction.

TRENDS IN THE MODERNIZATION OF THE CRIMINAL LAW RESPONSE TO DRUG CRIME

The paper deals with the problem of countering the illicit drug trafficking, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues in the Eurasian Economic Union countries. The authors, basing on the statistical data analysis, demonstrated an increase in the number of drug addicts; it is shown that drug addiction is a global problem nowadays. The constant increase of registered criminal acts related to drugs and their cross-border nature make it necessary to develop cooperation in combating the illicit distribution of drugs, harmonizing and unifying legal norms in this area, especially within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. A comparative legal analysis of the criminal law governing liability for drug trafficking in the EAEU countries shows the diversity of legislative structures in the key elements of the crimes under consideration. The issues of personal non-medical use liability, the subject of crimes, the criminalization of individual acts related to drug trafficking, should be the subject of discussion on developing a unified approach of criminal law to counter the analyzed crimes in the EAEU countries.

The Illicit Distribution of Precursor Chemicals in China: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

China has been marked as a source country from which large volumes of precursor chemicals are shipped to foreign drug markets for synthetic drug production. However, the basic patterns of illicit distribution remain unclear. Data from closed criminal cases were extracted from legal files to develop an objective understanding of illicit distribution patterns in China. The sample consisted of 534 illicit supply cases involving 1481 individuals, three groups of precursor chemicals and 102 chemical manufacturing companies. The offenders could be categorised as lower-class offenders, occupational offenders and corporate offenders based on their profiles and criminal behaviours. Significant differences between the three groups of offenders and their specific patterns of chemical supply suggest a diverse, dynamic and complex nationwide supply network. To better understand this phenomenon in China’s rapidly transitioning society, we provide a description of cultural, legal and political backgrounds, which may provide some explanations at the macro level.

ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННЫЙ ОПЫТ БОРЬБЫ С НАРКОПРЕСТУПНОСТЬЮ: ОТ ДРЕВНЕЙ РУСИ ДО ИМПЕРСКОЙ РОССИИ

The article deals with the problem of the efficiency of anti-narcotics policy and legislative support for drug addiction counteraction in Ancient and Medieval Rus, as well as imperial Russia. The discrepancy between the taken measures and the objective drug situation in the state is revealed. As a result of the research, the authors have concluded that the legislative efforts of the authorities to reduce the illicit distribution and non-medical use of drugs were ineffective; drug addiction in Russia became a global threat to the population’s health, the country’s economy, law and order, and the state security.

Size and scope of the tobacco trade on the darkweb

ABSTRACTGlobally, tobacco is responsible for the death of approximately 6 million individuals per year. In reaction, governments have enacted tobacco control policies that cope with the harmful effects of the drug. However, these policies have also created geographic price disparities and increased the effort needed to purchase legal tobacco products. The result was the creation of a new illicit tobacco market. While tobacco smuggling continues through conventional avenues, a new generation of traffickers have turned to a different source for the illicit distribution of tobacco – the internet, specifically the darkweb. The purpose of this paper is to describe the size and scope of illicit trafficking of tobacco on cryptomarkets, and the diverse types of tobacco-related products available on the cryptomarkets. Our analysis will provide guidance for policymakers, researchers, and all interested in the illicit trade of tobacco.

Analysis of Intoxication Deaths: Causes and Manners of Death

The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of deaths caused by drug poisoning or intoxication with other substances in Qom province, Iran from 2008 to 2012. The data on poisoning deaths were collected from the autopsy reports and defined cause of death in death certificates. Death profiles and demographic characteristics were analysed. Intoxication death cases were recorded 388 subjects during the five year study period, of which 264 cases (68 %) were male. Results showed that the rate of intoxication deaths was 93 cases per one million populations in 2008, decreasing to 49 cases in 2010 and then increasing to 69 cases in 2012. Opium alkaloids caused the highest mortality rate in male and female cases. Tramadol and tricyclic antidepressants were the second cause of death in males and females, respectively. The majority of cases were in the age range of 21-30 years. Accidental poisoning with opioids was the most reported manner of death. Death cause analysis revealed that opioids contributed to death in the majority of cases. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of regulatory controls on clandestine illicit opioid production, distribution and abuse by heath care authorities.