crime type 1 - drugs and crime

Question 1

illicit drug markets account for what percentage of the GDP

Answer 1

0.2%

Question 2

goldsteins tripartite framework consists of what 3 factors?

Answer 2

1. economic compulsive e.g. shoplifting to support drug use
2. psychopharmacological e.g. drug use may lead to aggression and violent crime
3. systemic crime e.g. internal/ external and intermediate violence

Question 3

what is meant by drug related crimes? list 3 different definitions

Answer 3

1. all offences specified in the drugs legislation e.g. supply of illicit drugs
2. offences that are caused directly by drug or alcohol use e.g. shopliftings
3. offences that are indirectly associated with drug or alcohol misuse e.g. money laundering

Question 4

home office definition for drug related crime

Answer 4

‘not only the offence of supply and possession of illegal drugs, but also other illegal activity directly or indirectly associated with drug misuse’

Question 5

5 possible connections between drugs and crime

Answer 5

1. drug use causes crime
2. crime causes drug use
3. reciprocal i.e. drug use causes crime and crime causes drug use
4. common cause: drug use doesn’t cause crime and nor does crime cause drug use. they are both caused by a common variable
5. coincidence

Question 6

what is a spurious correlation?

Answer 6

refers to a connection between 2 variables that appear to be causal but is not

Question 7

what are cryptomarkets?

Answer 7

cryptomarkets are an online marketplace designed to enable anonymous buying and selling of illegal goods and services

Question 8

what are drug cryptomarkets?

Answer 8

drug cryptomarkets are internet sales platform that host multiple sellers or vendors of drugs for a commission on sales, in return providing marketplace users with anonymity via encrypted communications and payment

Question 9

list 6 key features of drug cryptomarkets

Answer 9

1. anonymisation services: Tor browser
2. cryptocurrencies
3. encrypted communication
4. escrow service
5. customer ratings and comments
6. drugs delivered through postal services

Question 10

define the anonymisation services (the Tor browser)

Answer 10

like chrome or safari but enables people to maintain their privacy and anonymity while on the internet

Question 11

what are bitcoins?

Answer 11

• form of digital currency that uses blockchain technology to support peer-to-peer transactions between users on a decentralised network
• like a bank account but keeps track of whole currency rather than just individuals account
• resolves double spending problem
• no intermediaries

Question 12

what is an escrow service?

Answer 12

• acts as a third party for online product sales
• buyer sends their payments to the escrow service which holds money until the product is received
• once product is delivered and verified, the online escrow service releases the funds to the seller

Question 13

key innovations brought by cryptomarkets

Answer 13

• potential change in drug trafficking routes
• price and competition
• quality (ratings and comments)
• violence
• anonymity

Question 14

what was the first cryptomarket?
who created it?

Answer 14

silk road
- created by ross william ulbricht
- went by the name ‘dead pirate roberts’
- arrested with life imprisonment for money laundering, computer hacking, conspiracy to trafficking narcotics, and procuring murder

Question 15

second cryptomarket created

Answer 15

silk road 2.0
- was seized as part of operation onymous in nov 2014
- since then proliferation (rapid increase) of cryptomarkets
- darknet markets ecosystem

Question 16

what percentage of stranger violence incidents does the victim describe the perpetrator as being under the influence of drugs?

Answer 16

16%

Question 17

what percentage of arrestees in Washington DC tested positive for illicit drugs at time of arrest?

Answer 17

49%

Question 18

what percentage of arrestees in Chicago tested positive for illicit drugs at the time of arrest?

Answer 18

89%

Question 19

what is the largest drug market?

Answer 19

marijuana is the largest drug market with a retail price of $113 billion

Question 20

where can the largest proportion of drug users be found in the world?

Answer 20

asia
- more than 60% of worlds amphetamine users
- more than half of opiate users reside there

Question 21

which two countries are responsible since 1980s for 70-95% of the worlds opium supply?

Answer 21

Afghanistan
Myanmar

Question 22

after 2001 to 2007 Afghanistan accounted up to what percent of the worlds heroin production

Answer 22

92%
- became increasingly concentrated

Question 23

where is virtually all of coca bush concentrated in 3 andean countries

Answer 23

• columbia
• peru
• bolivia

Question 24

which is the largest manufacturing for cocaine

Answer 24

columbia
- 600 metric tonnes in 2007

Question 25

where is amphetamine mainly produced?

Answer 25

europe
- particularly the netherlands and poland

Question 26

what is drug smuggling based on

Answer 26

a supply chain approach

Question 27

which country is the main gateway for afghan heroin production to western european markets?
what route is transported on?

Answer 27

turkey
along the balkan route through turkey to western euorpean markets

Question 28

what is the second major route for drug smuggling?

Answer 28

silk route
russian and eastern european markets via tajikistan and other central asia states