Open AccessThe role of profiling of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in combating their illegal trafficking
Author(s) -
Iryna Kuchynska
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ìnformacìâ ì pravo
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2616-6798
DOI - 10.37750/2616-6798.2021.3(38).243817
Subject(s) - drug trafficking , synthetic cannabinoids , illicit drug , profiling (computer programming) , business , impurity , street drugs , drug , chemistry , combinatorial chemistry , computer science , medicine , pharmacology , organic chemistry , psychology , criminology , biochemistry , receptor , cannabinoid , operating system
Recently, there is a negative trend in the world – increasing number of synthetic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the illicit trafficking of these substances. Specially equipped underground laboratories for their drug production are being set up to meet the demand for synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs and psychotropic substances produced in underground laboratories can be synthesized in various ways. Various precursors and reagents are used for their synthesis, which leads to the appearance of impurities in the final product. Impurities help to determine the ways of synthesis of the illegal substance, the origin of the precursors, provide information about the location of production. Due to the presence of impurities, the connections between the removed substances are revealed. Specific impurities are used to determine the route of production, which, combined with other forms of investigation, will help to link different batches of a prohibited substance to the specific person who manufactured them. Impurities associated with the synthesis of substances seized in illegal laboratories are so-called marker compounds. They are a kind of marks that guide the expert chemist on the specific method used by criminals to obtain the substance. Marker compounds are of the greatest importance for the accurate establishment of the synthesis method. Marker compounds are determined by impurity profiling of samples of the prohibited substance. The main purpose of the profiling of impurities is to assist law enforcement agencies in combating the illicit manufacture and circulation of controlled substances. The results of research and information on the circumstances of the confiscation should be recorded in the relevant created electronic databases. In the profile database, two samples of a substance with a similar chemical profile can be linked together from the manufacturing stage to the distribution stage. Data on impurity profiles and fillers can be used to estimate the batch size, time and area of drug distribution. Databases are needed for use by law enforcement agencies in operational and investigative work. Databases are needed for the timely detection and liquidation of underground drug laboratories. The above aspects emphasize the importance of cooperation between investigative, operational services and forensic agencies in the process of effective detection and cessation of crimes related to the distribution of controlled substances.