New types of psychoactive substances in the Republic of Kazakhstan
All over the world today, drug addiction is considered as an extremely dangerous phenomenon that poses a threat to the national security of the state. If no action is taken, drug addiction can cause a catastrophe for any country. This evil has long passed the borders of individual states, becoming a real threat to the security of all mankind, causing significant damage to its gene pool. Therefore, all States today are actively searching for methods to combat this terrible phenomenon.
The problem of the growth of drug trafficking and drug addiction, as a “global threat to the health of the country’s population and national security in general”, is currently put forward among the many problems facing the Kazakh society in the first place.
Criminal groups organize a complex international network that combines production, trade, finance, search and capture of new markets.
A significant increase in illicit drug use has led to an unprecedented increase in drug-related crime. The dynamics of drug addiction development in recent years is obvious.
It is necessary to take into account the absolute and gigantic growing danger that any manifestations of human behavior, in one way or another related to the area of illegal distribution or non-medical drug use, pose to society today. Unfortunately, our fellow citizens still do not adequately assess this danger, and some have even engaged in its further “replication”, engaging in the terrible process of illegal drug distribution.
Illicit drug trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan is characterized by the emergence of new psychoactive substances. The popularity of new psychoactive substances is associated with the ability of these compounds to reproduce and even surpass the psychoactive properties of banned substances, as well as the ease of their distribution through online stores.
For terminological clarity, UNODC uses the term “new psychoactive substances (NPS)”, defined as”substances that are subject to abuse in their pure form or in the form of a drug that are not controlled, but may pose a threat to public health”. The word “new” in the name indicates not so much the novelty of such substances – some were synthesized 40 years ago-as their recent appearance on the market.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are compounds that cause drug intoxication, i.e., change a person’s behavior, perception of the environment, and mood, which as a result causes dependence on them.
According to their action, they can be divided into groups, the most important of which are synthetic cannabinoids that act similarly to cannabis products; synthetic analogues of amphetamines that act similarly to amphetamine or cocaine; synthetic hallucinogens that act similarly to known hallucinogens. New substances are constantly being synthesized in underground laboratories. Today, the market is replenished with various new psychoactive substances (NPS).
NSAIDs are found on the market under the names “legal drugs”, “herbal drugs”, “bath salts”and” chemical reagents”.
Since many NPS are not subject to control in the Republic of Kazakhstan, reference to analogues has already been added to the legislation in order to extend control to substances that are not specifically mentioned in the legislation, but have “chemical similarities” with the substances subject to control.
The Head of State and the Government have set the tasks of rapid response to changes in the drug situation, taking urgent measures to improve the system of countering drug expansion and coordinating the activities of state bodies and public associations.
The specifics of the investigation of illegal drug operations involve the involvement of specialists and experts with special knowledge to assist in the detection, recording, and investigation of evidence. It is the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that are the subject of these crimes that make up the common core that unites all the crimes of this group.
Forensic expertise makes a significant contribution to the detection of crimes related to the production and sale of NPS. The current period of the fight against drug addiction and drug trafficking is characterized by a significant increase in the requirements for the activities of expert laboratories, which are required to establish the nature of the new seized substances.
Currently, the Institute of Forensic Examinations in the city of Almaty of the Center for Forensic Examinations of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan is equipped with modern analytical equipment, staffed with highly qualified expert personnel, which allows you to solve expert problems of any level, including the establishment of the nature of the NIP. Solving the problems of establishing a common source of origin by manufacturing technology and raw materials used allows law enforcement agencies to successfully identify manufacturers of NPS.