Illicit drug networks, reactions and enforcement in a global crime context
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Module
Criminology And Criminal Justice
Institution
Swinburne University Of Technology (SUT
)
Describes the main models and structures of illicit drug networks
Describes the markets and suppliers of illicit drug networks
Describes and explains the 'iron law of prohibition' and the 'balloon effect'
Lists and explains the strengths and weaknesses of the various reactions and impleme...
Pyramid model: In a drug market, a central leading group or
individual emerges and is responsible for organising intricate tiered
network of suppliers and dealers to sell drugs.
Decentralised models: these drug operators operate in exible,
linear networks. Rather than a single organisation overseeing
everything, different, independent groups collaborate to produce
and sell illicit drugs in a disparate network. This makes it hard for law
enforcement to track them down and shut them down as another
group will simply the take place of the group who was intercepted.
Drug Markets:
Semi-open markets: Drug sales that occur in open spaces such as
party locations, eg night clubs where third party dealers sell drugs.
Social suppliers: are people deal directly to their friends. Usually not
pro ted oriented, view exchange as a bonding experience rather
than a job
Closed markets: Drug markets that do not operate out in the open.
Dealers may contact buyers through trusted third party liaisons. In
the cases of online markets, buyers only able to access sites when
supplied with a URL by dealers.
Iron law of prohibition: The more a product is ruled illegal, the more
likely that potent or more concentrated versions of that product will
surface on the black market. This is because buyers are more likely
to pay more for a more concentrated product. However, because
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, these products are not regulated by legal health conditions, they are
more likely to be contaminated.
The balloon effect: Refers to how when one part of a balloon is
squeezed, the air is simply pushed to another area. This is re ective
of the fact that often, the supply and production of drugs simply
move to different areas when due to the threat of being caught by
the police rather than being shut down completely. This because the
sale of drugs is pro table and enticing enough for other drug
traders to take over the production and sale of drugs, even under
threat of law enforcement.
Methods of dealing with drug crimes:
Law enforcement: Outlawing drug use and sale using imprisonment
and jail time as a threat and method to deter drug use and sale.
Pros: Illicit drugs can pose a signi cant harm to a person’s mental and
physical health. Thus, by outlawing drug use and sale, people might
be deterred from using or selling drugs, decreasing their likelihood of
suffering drug related problems.
Cons: As the iron law of prohibition indicates, outlawing a product
doesn’t stop production or sale of drugs, just shifts it underground.
This makes it more likely for drugs to become contaminated, meaning
the person is at greater risk of suffering harm. Minorities also tend to
be overrepresented in being arrested for drug crimes. Prisons also
tend to be overburdened in countries with strong laws against drug
use.
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