CRIMINAL-LEGAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN NARCOTIC DRUGS AND THEIR ANALOGUES WITH THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES

The article considers the main aspects of criminal law and criminological research of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and their analogues using computer technology. The direct dependence of the fact of drug use and propensity to crimes is revealed. This is confirmed by the high prevalence of drug addiction among those arrested. Research has shown that drug policy has changed significantly over the last hundred years: from decriminalization, harm reduction, medicalization to strict prohibition. When drug policy changes, so does the nature of the approach and perception of the act of drug use in relation to the crime. The widespread use of the Internet, mobile communications and electronic payments by drug offenders makes the detection of such crimes extremely difficult, costly and time consuming.