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Security Issues
Reference:

Ensuring national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies

Khamidullin Ruslan Sibagatullovich

PhD in Law

Head of the Department of Operational Investigative Activities of Internal Affairs Bodies, Ural Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

620072, Russia, Sverdlovskaya oblast', g. Ekaterinburg, ul. Syromolotova, 7, kv. 11

sledgsugu@mail.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.25136/2409-7543.2023.2.37603

EDN:

MYPBAN

Received:

23-02-2022


Published:

05-07-2023


Abstract: Based on scientific sources and practical experience, the article examines the issues of ensuring national security in the field of drug trafficking using IT technologies. The subject of the study is some features of the identification, disclosure and investigation of crimes related to illicit trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances carried out using IT technologies and the Internet. The object of the study is the social relations arising in the process of ensuring national security during the fight against drug crime on the territory of the Russian Federation. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the specifics of the detection and disclosure of crimes committed in the field of drug trafficking, as well as the fixation and seizure of digital traces of crime. Special attention is paid to the use of modern technologies in countering drug trafficking using IT technologies. The main conclusions of the study are: ensuring national security in the field of drug trafficking using IT technologies is impossible without qualified employees of the relevant departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and providing them with modern technical means of detecting, fixing and removing digital evidentiary information; the need to identify and disseminate positive experience in combating illicit trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances; development and implementation of effective methods and algorithms of actions of law enforcement officers in various operational and investigative situations in practical activities to combat drug trafficking; improvement of the regulatory framework governing the organization of national security in the field of trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances.


Keywords:

ensuring national security, drug sales, operational officer, operationally relevant information, drug dealer, Internet, information technology, electronic media, cybercrime, psychotropic substances

This article is automatically translated.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (hereinafter the Ministry of Internal Affairs From January to April 2022, 653,178 crimes have already been registered, every fourth crime is committed using information and telecommunications technologies (hereinafter referred to as IT technologies). A significant share of crimes in the field of IT technologies, along with the spread of malware viruses, illegal access to databases, phishing attacks, is the illegal distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through the Internet [1]. According to surveys conducted among employees of operational units involved in the fight against drug trafficking, this type of crime has a high degree of latency, which indicates the insufficiency of measures taken to identify and solve such crimes [2].

The use of modern technologies makes it possible to sell drugs in a contactless way by creating "stash-bookmarks". The contactless sales method assumes the absence of direct contact between the seller and the buyer. Thus, a person who buys narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in the event of his detention, is not able to give information (testimony) in relation to the person carrying out the sale.

The difficulty of detecting and disclosing such crimes lies in the fact that persons engaged in criminal activities use the shadow sector of the Internet – "DarkNet". The network provides an opportunity to create and place online stores on portals such as, for example, "Hydra", allowing sellers and buyers to make transactions online under conditions of anonymity without disclosing their personal data [3].

The method of calculation on the Internet appeared back in the 1970s, when Stanford University students in the artificial intelligence laboratory concluded a commercial deal with their colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So, new payment options appeared on the Internet, and after that electronic payment systems such as WebMoney, Yandex.Money", "Qiwi wallet", etc. And it also became possible to transfer money through a transfer system, for example, through "Western Union", "UNIstream", etc. These systems did not provide such anonymity for drug dealers, which provided the opportunity to use cryptocurrencies for mutual settlements, as well as the legalization of funds obtained by criminal means.

Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital currency, accounting for internal units of account of which is provided by a decentralized payment system (there is no internal or external administrator or any of its analogues), operating in a fully automatic mode. Transactions (transactions with funds: transfer, withdrawal or crediting to an account, i.e. any process related to the use of bank accounts) in cryptocurrency are made instantly and have no territorial restrictions, are carried out all over the world. At the same time, there is no single emission center outside the SWIFT system, which monitors financial and settlement risks, regarding the large nature of payments made when calculating for large quantities of narcotic drugs [4]. Also, the advantage of using cryptocurrencies over other electronic means of payment is a fixed, small commission for transactions.

Anonymity is ensured through the use of depersonalized crypto accounts in the distributed register of financial transactions, which do not allow establishing sufficient information to identify participants in transactions and beneficiaries of cryptocurrency funds. This technical capability is provided as a result of the use of Blockchain technologies (a continuous sequential chain of blocks (linked list) containing information built according to certain rules). So, this technology does not allow you to track the receipt of criminal income.

The scheme for the purchase of narcotic drugs and the organization of counteraction by law enforcement agencies may look like this:

  1. The buyer registers on some "exchange site" of cryptocurrencies on the Internet, where he will be assigned a digital wallet with a unique address (example: 3GUHMnx47raxdKGyAvgQGHUYH8h1xhFA2L).
  2. On the "exchange site" (for example https://localbitcoins.net ) in the corresponding section, a transaction is selected to exchange fiat money (rubles, dollars, euros and other funds issued (issued) by the state, which are currently legal tender) for cryptocurrency (for example, Bitcoin). The buyer of Bitcoin has the opportunity to select the required amount of cryptocurrency on the website calculator and get a calculation of how many rubles he will need to pay for it and what the commission of the exchanger will be. Law enforcement agencies have the opportunity, with the assistance of the exchange administration and proper analytical work, to establish bank accounts involved in the purchase of cryptocurrencies.
  3. The use of smart contract technology allows the exchanger to act as a guarantor of the transaction by blocking the required amount of cryptocurrency in the seller's wallet, for which the buyer paid by transferring fiat money to the seller's account.
  4. Upon receipt of the specified amount from the buyer, the seller informs (confirms) this is done to the exchanger, after which the exchanger unlocks the transaction and the buyer receives the required amount of Bitcoin to the account of his cryptocurrency wallet.
  5. The use of the "Tor" browser by drug buyers allows them to anonymously access the "DarkNet" where they find the appropriate online store for the sale of prohibited substances. On the website of the online store, the buyer selects the desired type of drug, the city and the area where the "treasure" (a cache with a narcotic substance or a psychiatric drug) will be placed.
  6. According to the principle of smart counterattack, through the mediation of the portal, the buyer and seller make a "safe" transaction, the amount of cryptocurrency on the buyer's account (wallet) is blocked, equivalent to the purchased "staff" (drugs in the slang of a specific contingent)
  7. The seller informs the kladmen (the courier who creates caches-bookmarks) the volume of the treasure and the location area. After that, the athlete places a bookmark.

The coordinates and photos of the location of the "treasure" are sent to the buyer. After the buyer finds and receives the "staff", the seller's actions on the portal are confirmed and the transaction is carried out.

In this case, operational staff can monitor depersonalized cryptocurrency transfers using services like blockchain.info. The algorithm in this case consists of visiting the main page of the resource (blockchain.info ) followed by the entry of the relevant cryptocurrency transaction codes. Thus, it is possible to obtain the necessary information and data on the status of the transaction [5].

In the course of our research, we have identified some difficulties in solving crimes committed by forming "stash-bookmarks" with narcotic drugs. The existing schemes for working with cryptocurrency conversion technologies are increasingly becoming ineffective due to the use of Internet platforms of internal "exchangers", whose digital wallets are formed inside the Internet platform, and wallets for storing and transferring cryptocurrencies inside the site. For example, the Hydra Internet platform uses these features constantly, replenishing them with new ways to hide the data of its resources. So, the user can choose different payment methods, such as:

1. Transfer of funds to a bank card. In this case, the site automatically provides the bank card number of its internal cryptocurrency "exchanger". Tracking of funds will be difficult starting with the conversion of funds and placing them on a digital wallet, which is not always possible to establish a unique address.

2. Transfer by phone number. In this case, payment can be made either by means of an online transfer to replenish the account of the subscriber number, or using a "Qiwi wallet". The subscriber numbers used by the sellers, as a rule, do not have an affiliation, or the registration data are false. These numbers are not used for telephone communication and are most often specified once. In relation to Qiwi wallets, the scheme for identifying participants in criminal activity consists in analytical work based on the results of information received from requests to Qiwi Bank. With the help of such information, it is possible to establish the final subscriber number or personal account used for withdrawing funds. Due to the effectiveness of the work of law enforcement agencies in this direction, the use of "Qiwi wallets" by sellers has significantly decreased in their criminal activities.

3. Payment using the cryptocurrency available on the internal wallet of the site. The identification of the addressees of this payment method is also difficult due to the minimum time interval between the replenishment of this repository and the execution of a criminal transaction.

To fix the criminal activity of persons engaged in the sale of narcotic drugs using applications of the information and telecommunications network "Internet", the following algorithm can be used, tested as a positive experience by the Department for the Control of illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Russia in the city of Yekaterinburg. As part of the operational support of criminal cases initiated on the facts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, it is often possible to install an application through which criminals operate, and the data of the IDs and IP addresses used by the traffickers (IP address (abbreviated from "Internet Protocol") is a unique identifier of the device. Available on computers, tablets and smartphones; ID (from "identifier") is a unique individual number. Each computer has such a parameter, which allows you to identify this device).

However, due to the presence of programs that allow you to hide email addresses, it is not possible to install the application in some cases, therefore other ways of establishing data are necessary. To use applications that can also be used for criminal purposes, registration is required with the indication of subscriber numbers; in some cases, the application avoids registration, and in some cases an account is formed based on the "login and password" category. In all cases, the generated account has a user ID number. This category is also applicable for exposing persons in their criminal activities. So, in the course of working with the detainee, it was established that the person used the VIPole application for the purchase of narcotic drugs, which he entered using his cell phone. Registration in this application is made by specifying the subscriber number. So, having established an ip address, law enforcement agencies carry out operational and technical measures aimed at determining the circle of persons for which subscriber numbers are requested that have applied to this ip address with any request for a given time period [6].

Based on the results of the activities carried out, a list of subscriber numbers with the dates and time of the request is established. After that, during the analytical work, the number of calls of each of the subscriber numbers is set. In this case, the number of appeals indicates the nature of the likely criminal acts and connections. Taking into account the relevance of the considered ip of the person using the established subscriber numbers, a version is put forward about his involvement in the purchasers of narcotic drugs. To verify the version, the intensity of appeals is revealed, the most active users are recorded, and further operational search measures are carried out against them to establish their personal data. The activity of the user in this case may indicate the involvement of a person in the sale of narcotic drugs, which indicates the group nature of criminal activity.

The presented algorithm for the disclosure of crimes related to the sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances by the method of "stash-bookmarks" can also be used in the organization of countering other types and categories of crimes in the commission of which modern anonymization technologies can be used. It is also important that for high-quality documentation of the criminal activities of drug dealers and the effectiveness of the implementation of measures on the Internet, operatives need special knowledge in the field of IT technologies, devices, applications, data generation on electronic media, possession of special software and the latest technical devices.

We consider it necessary to note that along with the detection, seizure and investigation of digital traces of a crime, one should not forget about the traditional traclogical traces that a person leaves in any case in the course of his activity. Even though, in 2021, in the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments of almost all countries recommended that their citizens wear masks and gloves. This advice was also used by the majority of drug dealers - pawners. By wearing masks and gloves, as well as protective glasses, they minimize their biological traces both at the places of bookmarks and on the bookmarks themselves. In addition, the thrown hood and mask complicate the possibility of identifying a person by surveillance cameras. Such a method of disguise did not attract the attention of law enforcement officers, since the use of personal protective equipment has become the daily norm. Such conditions significantly complicate the proving in criminal cases of this category. However, all of these measures are necessary to collect data and carry out further investigative actions.

The use of the "Transparent Blockchain" technology in the fight against drug crimes seems promising. [7]. The Transparent Blockchain system is designed to monitor and analyze cryptocurrency transactions, mainly using bitcoin. Undoubtedly, the development of this segment is timely and relevant, and its commissioning will help solve the following significant tasks:

– analyze and track the movement of virtual funds;

– maintain databases of specific blockchain addresses (wallets) that have virtual assets and are likely associated with illegal activities;

– to monitor the participants of the cryptocurrency market;

– to carry out taxation of transactions;

– create profiles of transaction participants and evaluate their role in economic activity.

But the main task of this system is still to establish the personal data of specific individuals (beneficiaries), owners of blockchain addresses (wallets) who are suspected of criminal activity. First of all, these are persons who carry out drug trafficking, financing extremism and terrorism, commit corruption and cybercrime, and evade taxes. In addition, the system will ensure the safety and establish control over the targeted use of budget funds[8].

The fight against drug crime continues to be an urgent issue at the highest level. In 2020, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed a Decree "On approval of the Strategy of the State Anti–Drug Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030" (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy), where attempts to destabilize the international drug trade are named among the threats to national security in the field of drug trafficking, as well as in the field of countering their illicit trafficking in the medium and long term drug control systems in terms of its liberalization and legalization of drugs in violation of international regulatory legal acts, as well as the expansion of the global drug market due to the legalization of the use of cannabis in recreational [9]. For this purpose, it is important to investigate existing and develop new operational and tactical methods and techniques for organizing counteraction to drug crime.

Operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies is carried out by law enforcement agencies through the use of modern means and methods of obtaining, analyzing and storing information. Which allows you to prevent, prevent, solve and investigate crimes in this area.

References
1. The main information center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The state of crime January – April 2022. [website] www.ìâä.ðô .
2. The results of a survey of 100 operatives who underwent advanced training or retraining at the Ural Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in 2021.
3. Aliyev T.F., Stolbova N.A. Problems of investigation of crimes committed using the Internet information and telecommunication network. / Scientific digest of the East Siberian Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2021. No. 4 (14). pp. 12-17.
4. Pozdnyakov A.N., Firsova E.V. The fight against electronic drug trafficking - fragments of reality and prospects: operational-investigative aspect / Academic Thought. 2020. No. 3 (12). pp. 23-32.
5. Isakov R.V., Demko N.M. Countering drug crime by the example of the organization of intelligence work of the Drug Enforcement administration / Bulletin of the Ryazan Branch of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2020. No. 14. pp. 20-24.
6. Khamidullin R.S. Ensuring national security by countering crimes related to illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances committed using information and telecommunication technologies / Bulletin of the Ural Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2022. No. 1 (33). pp. 93-98.
7. Rosfinmonitoring will develop a system for tracking transactions with cryptocurrency. URL: https://tass.ru/ekonomika (accessed: 17.01.2022).
8. Novoselov N.G. The use of the "Transparent Blockchain" system in the fight against drug trafficking / in the collection: Actual problems of combating crime: questions of theory and practice. Materials of the XV International scientific and practical conference. In 2 parts. Krasnoyarsk, 2022. pp. 267-269.
9. Zhdanova E.V. Illicit drug trafficking of the cannabis group and trends in the use of cannabis in legal circulation / Scientific portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2021. No. 4 (56). pp. 69-75.

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

A REVIEW of an article on the topic "Operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies". The subject of the study. The article proposed for review is devoted to topical issues of operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies. The author examines the practical issues of the use and application of various information and telecommunication technologies for drug distribution. The subject of the study was empirical data, opinions of scientists, legislation. Research methodology. The purpose of the study is not stated directly in the article. At the same time, it can be clearly understood from the title and content of the work. The goal can be designated as the consideration and resolution of certain problematic aspects of the issue of operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies. Based on the set goals and objectives, the author has chosen the methodological basis of the study. In particular, the author uses a set of general scientific methods of cognition: analysis, synthesis, analogy, deduction, induction, and others. In particular, the methods of analysis and synthesis made it possible to summarize and share the conclusions of various scientific approaches to the proposed topic, as well as to draw specific conclusions from empirical data. First of all, the author actively used methods of collecting and processing information. For example, the following is specified: "According to the Russian Interior Ministry, almost every fourth crime is committed using IT technologies. At the same time, their growth rate has slowed down. If in the first half of 2021 the number of cybercrimes increased by 20.3%, then in the two months of this year – by 8.1%. Positive results were achieved thanks to the activity of specialized units for the detection and investigation of crimes in the field of high technology. They have been established in the operational and investigative services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and its territorial bodies, their employees receive special education and the necessary equipment, which allows them to increase efforts in the fight against IT crime." In addition, the author of the article conducted a serious empirical analysis of the data related to the commission of crimes of the studied group using information technology tools. So, we highlight the following: "To purchase narcotic drugs, the buyer must register on some kind of digital currency exchanger on the Internet, where he will have a digital wallet with a unique address. The address will look something like this: 38AwyYdyrG8yesfNjFKEQETaNu9nPWtws. After that, the buyer needs to purchase cryptocurrency (Bitcoin is the most common) on the exchanger's website, for which he chooses an offer to purchase a certain amount of cryptocurrency, where a cryptocurrency purchase and sale transaction is concluded directly on the exchanger's website. The exchanger acts as a third party guarantor of the transaction (a smart contract is used), for which it charges an appropriate commission." Thus, the methodology chosen by the author is fully adequate to the purpose of the study, allows you to study all aspects of the topic in its entirety. Relevance. The relevance of the stated issues is beyond doubt. There are both theoretical and practical aspects of the significance of the proposed topic. From the point of view of the theory of the topic, the issues of using modern technical means, the Internet, and other technologies for the purpose of drug trafficking are complex and necessary. More and more, these technologies are being used for illegal purposes, which implies the need to create effective technical and technological tools to counter them. From a practical point of view, scientifically based recommendations to law enforcement officers could be useful. These recommendations could contain specific instructions on how to identify and solve the crimes of the group under study. Thus, scientific research in the proposed field should only be welcomed. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the proposed article is beyond doubt. Firstly, it is expressed in the author's specific conclusions. Among them, for example, is the following conclusion: "some features of ensuring national security in the field of drug trafficking using IT technologies noted in this study are not exhaustive and can be taken into account when organizing and planning the fight against drug crime." These and other theoretical conclusions can be used in further scientific research. Secondly, the author suggests ideas for improving the practice of law enforcement agencies. In particular, "Modern technologies enable operational units to use the full range of capabilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and other departments (for example, Rosfinmonitoring) to conduct operational and special technical. In accordance with the category of crimes committed, there are opportunities for carrying out activities that restrict human and civil rights, for documenting the criminal activities of persons who are participants in the drug business. For high-quality documentation of the criminal activities of drug dealers and the effectiveness of the implementation of measures on the Internet, operatives need special knowledge in the field of IT technologies, devices, applications, data generation on electronic media, possession of special software and the latest technical devices." The above conclusion may be relevant and useful for practical activities. Thus, the materials of the article may be of particular interest to the scientific community in terms of contributing to the development of science. Style, structure, content. The subject of the article corresponds to the specialization of the journal "Security Issues", as it is devoted to the problems of ensuring national security in the field of investigation of crimes in the field of drug trafficking. The content of the article fully corresponds to the title, as the author considered the stated problems and achieved the research goal. The quality of the presentation of the study and its results should be recognized as fully positive. The subject, objectives, methodology and main results of the study follow directly from the text of the article. The design of the work generally meets the requirements for this kind of work. No significant violations of these requirements were found. Bibliography. The quality of the literature used should be highly appreciated. The author actively uses the literature presented by authors from Russia (Aliyev T.F., Stolbova N.A., Pozdnyakov A.N., Firsova E.V., Isakov R.V., Demko N.M. and others). I would like to note the author's use of a large number of practice materials, which made it possible to give the study a law enforcement orientation. Thus, the works of the above authors correspond to the research topic, have a sign of sufficiency, and contribute to the disclosure of various aspects of the topic. Appeal to opponents. The author conducted a serious analysis of the current state of the problem under study. All quotes from scientists are accompanied by author's comments. That is, the author shows different points of view on the problem and tries to argue for a more correct one in his opinion. Conclusions, the interest of the readership. The conclusions are fully logical, as they are obtained using a generally accepted methodology. The article may be of interest to the readership in terms of the presence in it of the author's systematic positions in relation to the issues of improving the practical aspects of law enforcement agencies' activities to investigate crimes of the studied group. Based on the above, summing up all the positive and negative sides of the article, "I recommend publishing"

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study. The subject of the reviewed article "Operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies" is an urgent aspect of countering drug trafficking with new methods and means using information and communication technologies, which in the context of global digitalization processes meets the realities of the time. Research methodology. The author used modern methods of scientific cognition when writing the article. The methodological apparatus of the research consisted of the following methods of scientific cognition: abstraction, induction, deduction, hypothesis, analogy, synthesis, historical, theoretical-prognostic, formal-legal, systemic-structural legal modeling, as well as the application of typology, classification, systematization and generalization. The theoretical conclusions of the author of the article are illustrated by references to statistical data. The relevance of research. The relevance of the topic of the article is beyond doubt. Countering drug trafficking is one of the priorities of the State's criminal law policy. As the format of socially dangerous acts is changing, and the trend of their digitalization is increasing, it is necessary to search for new methods and means of detecting and investigating crimes that correspond to their nature in order to ensure the effectiveness of law enforcement, law and order in society. Scientific novelty. The aspect of operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies presented by the author of the article is new for domestic legal science. Scientific novelty is manifested in the proposals of modern methods and means of countering drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies. The author's proposals allow for the prevention, suppression, disclosure and investigation of crimes in the field of drug trafficking by modern and high-tech means and methods of obtaining, analyzing and storing information. For example, the use of blockchain. The author showed knowledge of the legislation, the practice of its application and modern methods and tools in the field of countering drug trafficking. The style, structure, and content of the article. The article is written in a scientific style using special terminology. However, there are some typos in the text. For example, "counter-crimes" or "drug crimes" and some others. However, this remark as a whole does not detract from the work done by the author on the topic of research of the problem identified by him. At the same time, the text of the article should be carefully read by the author. In general, the article is structured, the material is presented consistently, understandable for perception. According to the content, the topic of the article is disclosed. Bibliography. The author has studied enough bibliographic sources on the topic of the article, including publications of recent years, which deserves approval. Appeal to opponents. Within the framework of the article (as far as its volume allows), the author conducts a scientific discussion very correctly. In support of his own conclusions, he cites the arguments of other leading experts in the field of countering drug trafficking, both theorists and practitioners. Conclusions, the interest of the readership. The article "Operational and tactical provision of national security in the field of drug trafficking using information and telecommunication technologies" meets the established requirements and can be accepted for publication in a scientific journal. Due to its relevance, this article will be of interest not only to specialists in the field of criminal law sciences, but also to a wide range of readers.