Problematic Issues of Forensic Examinations in the Detection and Investigation of Crimes on Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs of Plant Origin

Abstract

The article discusses the main trends in the illegal trafficking of plants containing psychoactive substances of the hallucinogen class. The author reveals the features of hallucinogens and dissociative anesthetics. The article also provides statistical indicators of the consumption growth of new psychoactive substances, including those contained in plant objects. The main criteria by which plant objects fall under the constructive apparatus of illegal trafficking are identified. The author pays special attention to applying specialized knowledge to expert identification and diagnostics of plants withdrawn from illicit trafficking containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or their precursors. To counteract the illegal trafficking of narcotic plants, the author proposes measures to improve the operational algorithms of experts’ actions when investigating herbal narcotic drugs. On the example of plants species Banisteriopsis caapi, the author demonstrates the lack of the study of taxonomic units of tropical plants containing hallucinogens. To solve this problem, the author proposes to change the level of definition of taxonomic affiliation from species to generic in the List of Plants containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or their precursors.

Keywords

• psychoactive substances
• hallucinogens
• dissociative anesthetics
• plants containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances
• diagnostically significant features
• species and generic affiliation