Modern drug market – the influence of the digital market on the structure and dynamics of the drug market

Struktura suvremenog tržišta droga složen je fenomen u kojemu konstantan tijek proizvodnje, ponude i potražnje ilegalnih tvari rezultira sve dinamičnijim razvojem i kretanjima, a pod velikim je utjecajem globalizacije i razvoja novih tehnologija, posebice interneta. Internet, kao važan facilitator na navedenom tržištu, u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća omogućio je širok pristup velikom rasponu informacija i time postao neophodan komunikacijski alat za razvoj kriminalnih aktivnosti povezanih s tržištem droga. Predstavljajući nevidljivu, skrivenu stranu interneta, i pod krinkom anonimnosti, kripto tržište, kao oblik digitalnog tržišta, pruža tako nove mogućnosti i načine trgovanja ilegalnim tvarima te na taj način preuzima monopol pred klasičnim načinima trgovanja drogom (»licem u lice«). Rad analizira suvremene znanstvene spoznaje o načinu funkcioniranja kripto tržišta droga kao i njegov utjecaj na strukturu i dinamiku suvremenog tržišta droga, a u svrhu promišljanja o razvoju preventivnih aktivnosti koje bi bile u mogućnosti suzbiti takvu vrstu kriminaliteta. Istraživanja sugeriraju da razvojem kripto tržišta tradicionalna tržišta drogom neće nestati već će se oba tržišta međusobno nadopunjavati pri čemu će djelovanje na digitalnom tržištu biti učestalije zbog veće mogućnosti zaštite identiteta njegovih glavnih aktera. Aktivnosti usmjerene na suzbijanje rada digitalnog tržišta droga predstavljaju velik izazov za brojne stručnjake koji se bave prevencijom zlouporabe ilegalnih tvari, od represivnog aparata pa sve do stručnjaka pomagačkih profesija koji zasigurno imaju veliku ulogu u osmišljavanju i implementaciji različitih preventivnih aktivnosti u ovoj domeni.The structure of the modern drug market is a complex phenomenon in which the constant flow of production, supply and demand of illegal substances results in increasingly dynamic development and trends, and which is under a great influence of globalization and the development of new technologies, especially the Internet. During the last several decades the Internet, as an important facilitator on the aforementioned market, has enabled a wide access to a broad range of information and has thus become a necessary communication tool for the development of criminal activities connected to the drug market. As an invisible, hidden side of the Internet, and under the disguise of anonymity, the crypto market as a form of a digital market offers new possibilities and ways of trafficking of illegal substances and in that manner takes over monopoly from classic ways of drug traffic (“face to face”). The paper analyses modern scientific knowledge about the manner in which the crypto drug market is functioning, as well as its influence on the structure and dynamics of the modern drug market, with the purpose of reflection on prevention activities that could eliminate such types of crime. Research suggests that the traditional drug market will not disappear with the development of crypto markets, but that both markets will complement one another, at which the activity in the digital market will become more frequent due to larger possibilities of protecting the identities of its main operators. Activities focused on combating the digital market operation represent a great challenge for numerous experts dealing with prevention of illegal substance abuse, from the police to the professionals in helping professions who certainly have a great part in designing and implementing different preventive activities in this area