"specialization" of criminal associations there also exists what is termed
as an "internal specialization", i.e. the division of labor among criminal
association members.
Organized Crime and Drug Related Crime: Features in Common:
These features include:
- clearly defined organizational and managerial structures with a
hierarchy which ensures the protection of leaders from punishment since
their actions usually remain outside the confines of the criminal code;
- uniform norms of behavior and responsibility;
- planned unlawful activities and common goals aimed at making large
profits;
- a system aiming to neutralize all forms of legal control and
development of counter measures;
- common finances invested in various areas of criminal activities,
which are used for bribing the necessary people, providing material support
to members of criminal associations and financing crimes;
- monopolization and expansion of areas of criminal activity,
cooperation between criminal associations in various branches of a national
economy, the introduction of commodities and services to the black market,
exploitation of women through pornography, and prostitution;
- the use of legal methods to launder drug money.
In sum narcotics are a negative social phenomenon posing an extreme
danger to society. This danger is expressed in such ill-effects as the
destruction of people's health as a result of drug addiction, drug-related
crimes, the totality of which forms an independent crime branch (narco-
crime), and the ability to turn the most dangerous and well-organized part
of narco-crime into a variety of organized crime.
Par. 2. Tendencies of Development
Some tendencies of development can be traced by using the statistical
method, whereas others, which are not clearly evident, can be discovered by
sociological studies, expert evaluations, interviews, studies of documents
or by content analysis of mass media publications.
The Structure of Narco-crime:
In the structure of narco-crime, the predominant criminal actions are
the illegal preparation, acquisition, storage, transportation and
dissemination of narcotics by mail. The percentage of such crimes is high
and is increasing all the time. It varies between 87 and 96%. Actions not
with the intent to sell constitute an overwhelming share (from 96 to 99%).
On the one hand, this fact gives reason to assume that the actions
listed above were taken to obtain narcotics for personal use. On the other,
a conclusion can be drawn that the main efforts against the spread of
illegal drug trafficking "have actually shifted towards intensifying
repressive measures against drug users.
However, illegal activity with drugs and their deliberate sale is much
more intensive. But for various reasons, both objective and subjective,
these fall under a different legal assessment. A major factor is that it is
difficult to prove that there was an intent to sell. This is compounded by
subjective views of "intent to sell" in special situations and the absence
of a clear-cut stand by the lawmakers. 93% of the polled narcotic officers
believe that proving "intent to sell" is difficult especially since this
question is of decisive importance in final judicial rulings.
Besides, 63% of the respondents charged with illegal drug operations
without the aim of selling drugs, admitted that they not only had such
intent but also had been engaged in these operations on a regular basis all
the way up until they were arrested.
It is interesting to note that in police seizures, drugs obtained from
natural plants have prevailed so far. (Nearly 9/10ths). Today the amount of
seized raw materials for making drugs is estimated in tens of tons and has
grown more than 5 times in the last few years. This is well above even the
over-estimated needs and norms of known addicts.
Specialized studies on the subject underline how difficult it is to
investigate and uncover the above-mentioned crimes because of "the
ingenuity of methods used to carry them out, attempts to conceal them and
also because criminal behavior is multifaceted.
One should also take into account the absence of well-conceived
methods, and the shortage of professionally trained personnel to uncover
and investigate such crimes, especially, in the present-day conditions when
there are political collisions caused by the Soviet Union's disintegration,
when there are "transparent" and ill-defined borders between the former
sovereign Soviet republics, when the internal affairs agencies are not well
equipped technically, and when the customs and border control services are
vulnerable.
The Structure of Crime and Latency:
Among the registered crimes there are none related to violations within
the system of medical care of the rules of drug-making, drug acquisition,
storage, keeping stock of, dispensing, transporting or sending by mail, at
pharmaceutical factories or medical and bio industrial enterprises, etc.
The absence of information about drug-related crimes, however, does not
mean at all that there are no crimes present.
A study of the problem has shown that there is no reason to believe
narcotics are safely kept out of reach of addicts. This has been confirmed
by more than one-third of the polled officers of internal affairs agencies.
Every second drug taker who was forced to undergo treatment, did not deny
that he had received drugs from medical personnel. Similar cases of drug
acquisition were noted by over 10% of persons charged with drug-related
crimes, whereas 17% of people from the same group of drug abusers confessed
that they used to steal drugs from hospitals, small medical centers and
pharmacies. The share of other crimes in the structure of drug-related
crimes total is insignificant, though they play a rather negative role in
the spread of narcotics. For example, during one year, the crime of
solicitation to use drugs was recorded only once or twice and 3 or 8 times
the crimes involving the organization or running dens for addicts or
providing premises for that purpose.
All the same just over 98% of the polled people charged with drug abuse
and intent to sell drugs said they had persuaded 3 to 7 persons to start
using drugs. In more than 70% of such cases, a special effort was made to
invite potential "victims" to homes belonging to different persons. These
people received remuneration for granting premises especially arranged for
this purpose and where conditions were conducive for the use of narcotics.
Practically one out of every 4 persons charged with drug abuse but without
attempting to push drugs, admitted in talking to officials, that he had
persuaded at least 3 or 4 persons to use drugs treating them to narcotics
that he had bought or made for his own use.
What is more, 37% of the examined complaints and statements by citizens
addressed to various agencies, especially, those made directly to the local
police officers have remained unread, though they specifically mentioned
people who had turned their homes into drug pads.
Negative Tendencies:
All these facts highlight: 1) an increase of the degree in danger posed
to the public by drug-related crimes; 2) the appearance of new narcotics,
giving way to diversity of drugs; 3) increase in the number of people
involved in the use of narcotics through persuasion; 4) the rising level of
organization of such crimes; 5) the expanding boundaries of illegal drug
trafficking on the world- wide scale; 6) an increase in the number of
illegal labs used to make drugs; 7) the perfection of methods used for
selling drugs and an increase in the establishment of illegal and semi-
legal shops intended for selling drugs; 8) the rising number of cases of
illegal acquisition, including theft of narcotics from medical
institutions; 9) the increase in numbers of corrupt officials involved in
illegal drug trafficking; 10) the greater degree of masked laundering of
money; 12) and a higher degree of latency of drug-related crimes.
The danger to the public from drug-related crimes is manifested by an
increase of crimes committed for the sake of selling drugs, and, second, by
the total quantity of narcotics in circulation.
The appearance new drug substances and the corresponding rise in
variety of drugs is reflected in the constant growth of the List of
Narcotics (narcotic substances and drug medicines both synthetic and
natural) produced by the UN International Drug Control Committee.
The spreading of the cultivation of drug-bearing plants in places,
which are, difficult to physically access is confirmed by the discovery of
plantations sown with such plants in various regions of the world. These
discoveries have been made with the help of space and aerial photography.
The fact that the ever-larger number of people use narcotics is
manifested in the rising figure of medical patients using drugs and
recreational drug users. The growing number of drug patients is registered
by statistics and the rise in numbers of recreational drug users is evident
from opinion polls among experts (medics at outpatient clinics for addicts
and law enforcement officers who specialize in combating drug-related
crimes).
The greater degree of organization in drug-related crimes is manifested
by the growth of criminal groups and associations, in the setting up of
syndicates and cartels, in the toughening of discipline within syndicates
and cartels and in the rising cohesion of their members and the
coordination of their actions. Tougher methods of pressure are exerted on
members violating the rules of conduct within groups. Criminal groups,
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