Transcript Document

Narcotics and Drug
Investigations
Chapter 14
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Overview






Current State of Narcotic and Drug
Abuse
Narcotics
Dangerous Drugs
Investigative Procedures
Review Questions
Opportunity for Student Questions
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Learning Objectives








Understand the widespread use and abuse of narcotics and
dangerous drugs
Understand the relationship of opium to the production and sale
of heroin and other narcotics
Define opium derivatives
Discuss the origin and current status of cocaine
Define the five major classifications of dangerous drugs
List the three basic traditional investigative procedures of the
drug inquiry
Understand the principles of the undercover operation
Explain the methods of surveillance and their application to drug
investigations
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Use and Abuse of Narcotics
and Dangerous Drugs


Nearly 45% of state prison inmates report
that they used a major drug before
committing the crime
The national average of arrested
Americans of either sex who test positive
for drugs is 64%
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Abuse is Widespread

Widespread use is not limited to convicted
criminals
– Approximately 16 million Americans admit to currently
using illegal drugs during the last month (7% of the
U.S. population over 12)
– 53% of H.S. seniors report using illegal drugs
– One in four school-age children has used illegal drugs
before reaching high school
– America spends $49 billion annually on illegal drugs


State and local police arrest 1.3 million for drugs
The federal authorities arrest 25,000 on drug
charges
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Narcotics



Narcotic historically refers to drugs that produce
a depressant effect on the central nervous
system
There are many synthetic forms of narcotics
Narcotics is the term that most often describes
derivatives obtained from the opium poppy such
as
– Morphine
– Heroin
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Narcotics (continued)


The federal government has classified
cocaine and other non-depressants as
narcotics
Cocaine differs from the traditional
family of narcotics
– First, it is not derived from the opium
poppy
– Second, it acts as a stimulant rather than
a depressant
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Opium Poppy


The opium poppy is a flowering plant
It produces opium which derives into:
– Morphine
– Codeine
– Heroin

The opium poppy is cultivated for both
legal (medical) and illegal uses
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Opium Poppy (continued)

The medical uses include:
– Pain relief
– Cough suppressant
– Controls diarrhea


Poppies are grown illegally in Mexico, South
America, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia
Continued use results in:
– Tolerance
– Physical dependence
– Addiction
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Drug Investigator
Terminology




Physical dependence
Withdrawal symptoms
Drug addiction
Drugs
– Morphine (typically injected)
– Heroine




Synthesized from morphine
Five times more powerful than morphine
Second to only cocaine in addiction rates
Blended with other drugs commonly for greater effects
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Uniform Controlled Substance Act
Five Schedules

Schedule I
– High potential for abuse
– No currently accepted medical use
– Lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under
medical supervision

Schedule II
– High potential for abuse
– Currently accepted medical use
– May lead to severe psychological or physical
dependence
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Uniform Controlled Substance Act
Five Schedules

(continued)
Schedule III
– Potential for abuse
– Currently accepted medical use
– May lead to moderate or low physical or high
psychological dependence

Schedule IV
– Low potential for abuse
– Currently accepted medical use
– May lead to limited physical or psychological
dependence
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Uniform Controlled Substance Act
Five Schedules

(continued)
Schedule V
– Low potential for abuse relative to
schedule IV
– Currently accepted medical use
– May lead to limited physical or
psychological dependence relative to
schedule IV
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Heroin Distribution
Cycle–Dealer Levels

Heroin is bought and sold by those who may
be typed according to four basic categories
–
Principal distributors



–
Organized crime or freelance operators
Have the funds and connections to establish a
production source
Pay from $18,000 to $25,000 per kilo
Wholesalers


Dilute the product to about 80% purity
Sell to ounce level dealers
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Heroin Distribution
Cycle–Dealer Levels (continued)
– Ounce distributor
Buys heroin in pound quantities
 Dilutes the product again to approximately
50 ̶ 60% purity

– Street dealer
Almost always an addict
 Sells to finance the habit
 Dilutes the product again to approximately
36% purity

Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Crack Distribution
Cycle–Dealer Levels
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Drugs of Abuse


Methadone
Cocaine
– Extracted from the coca bush
– Used widely in the late 19th century and thought at one time to
be safe (in 1885 it was added to Coca-Cola)


Freebase cocaine
Crack cocaine
– Highly addictive
– Very powerful
– Easy to make from cocaine hydrochloride (removes the
impurities that diluted it for profit)
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Drugs of Abuse (continued)

Depressants (also referred to as barbiturates)
– Seconal
– Valium
– Nembutal




Rohypnol (known also roofies, used commonly as a
date rape drug)
GHB (considered a designer drug and a date rape
drug)
OxyContin
Stimulants (also referred to as amphetamines)
– Benzedrine
– Dexedrine
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Drugs of Abuse (continued)

Methamphetamine
– A rapidly increasing drug problem in the U.S.
– Commonly known as meth or crank
– More potent than other forms of amphetamine and is
highly addictive
– Surpassed cocaine as the drug of choice
– The “high” of this drug last up to 10 times longer than
that created by a similar amount of cocaine

Hallucinogens
– LSD
– PCP (commonly known as angel dust)
– Mescaline and psilocybin
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Drugs of Abuse (continued)

MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy)
– Also known as the love drug
– Similar to hallucinogens with an amphetamine effect





Marijuana (contains THC)
Sinsemilla (unusually potent form of marijuana)
Hashish (a derivative of marijuana)
Anabolic Steroids (sports related abuse is widely reported)
Inhalants (chronic abusers are called huffers)
– Glue, nail polish
– Furniture polish, ether, nitrous oxide, gasoline
– Freon, room deodorizers containing butyl nitrite
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures

The investigation of drugs must take
three distinct directions if the total
objective of eradicating drug abuse is to
be achieved
– Sources of production
– Sources of distribution
– Sources of abuse
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
One Source of Production:
The Clandestine Laboratory



Contain many hazardous chemicals
May be ‘booby trapped’
All who enter must wear protective equipment
– SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus)
– Protective footwear
– Protective suit



Have a chemist (normally from the crime lab) who
is trained in clan labs assist in turning off processes
and in the collection of evidence
Decontaminate all persons who entered the scene
Disposal of chemicals and materials can cost
thousands of dollars
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures
(continued)





Sources of distribution have been the focus of law
enforcement efforts
The investigative task is to identify and apprehend the
drug dealers
Federal, state, and local law enforcement investigate
different levels of drug trafficking
All profits are taxable, including those gained from
illegal drugs–allowing prosecution for tax evasion
Civil forfeiture is also an option
– Profits from the crime
– Proceeds from the crime
– Instrumentalities that facilitate the crime
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures ̶
Highway Interdiction

Highway interdiction is an effective and
efficient means of drug seizure and drug
arrests
– The patrol officer stops a vehicle for a
legitimate reason (speeding, expired tags,
etc.)
– The officer is alert to evidence of drug
activity/transport
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Signs of Drug Use–
What Officers Look For
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures ̶
Highway Interdiction (continued)
– After the stop is technically over (giving the driver either a
warning or citation, the officer explains to the driver that he or
she is free to go)
– The driver is then asked, “Oh, by the way, are there any illegal
drugs or guns in the vehicle?”


The driver invariably will say, “No.”
If the driver says yes, the officer will have probable cause to search
the vehicle
– The officer then asks if he can search the vehicle, obtaining valid
consent for the search
– If the driver states that the officer may not search, the officer
has no right to detain the driver further, absent reasonable
suspicion or probable cause
– A drug dog brought to the scene and alerts for drugs gives the
police probable cause to search the vehicle
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures ̶ What
Law Enforcement Finds
• Controlled substances
• Drug paraphernalia
• Packaging materials
• Ingestion materials
• Pipes
• Needles
• Straws
• Papers (rolling)
• Scales
• Large amounts of money
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Investigative Procedures ̶
Informants


Using informants is an effective investigative
procedure
Informants are developed through different
motivations
– Can be flipped after arrested on drug charges
– Others come forward for profit; they are referred to
as mercenaries and can be paid for the information
– Some volunteer (police wanna-be’s or the good
Samaritan)
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
What Can Informants Do?

Informants
– Participate in “controlled buys”
– Introduce undercover officers to dealers
– Sometimes are required to testify in court

Information received from informants
can be used as a basis for search
warrants if the informant is found to
be reliable
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Stages in the Development
of Drug Use Patterns





Stage 1. Use begins with small, isolated groups
Stage 2. Users experiment with other forms of drug
abuse
Stage 3. Users focus on a specific drug, and dealing
accelerates
Stage 4. Drug use increases as does the level of
dealing
Stage 5. Drug use reaches epidemic proportions
and overloads police and other public agency
resources
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Undercover Operations



Requires the officer to assume a fictitious role
Demands quick and decisive thinking
The undercover investigation requires
– Case preparation
– Field operations


Informant introduction
Narcotics purchase (several from the same source)
– Controlled buy–purchased by the informant
– “UC buy” (undercover officer buy) purchased by police officer


Surveillance of all participants
Culminates in the buy-bust ̶ usually the buy-bust is conducted after three
purchases, the latter purchases being of higher weights of controlled
substances
– Multiple purchases are recommended to avoid legal questions regarding
entrapment
– Higher weights result in more severe charges
– Tactically important in the attempt to locate the source of the target
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Search Warrant Execution







The execution of a S.W. requires planning and coordination
Once inside, the officers must move quickly into rooms that have
been pre-designated before the raid
All occupants of the premises should be controlled and searched
Read the warrant to the occupant (if present) and furnish a copy
Conduct a thorough and systematic search
Appoint one person as the evidence custodian who will physically
seize the evidence after it is found
Using canine units will result in more success in finding narcotics
in secreted places
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Surveillance Techniques



This is a vital tool of the criminal investigator
The FBI reports that after informants, surveillance is the most
frequently employed investigative technique in obtaining arrests,
indictments, and convictions
It is used to develop both intelligence and evidence by
identifying:
–
–
–
–
–

Subjects
Activities
Associates
Residences and places of business
Hangouts
Methods include:
–
–
Moving
Fixed
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Review Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What is the national average of arrested Americans of either sex
who test positive for drugs?
What three major drugs are derived from the opium poppy?
Briefly describe the five schedules of controlled substances.
Describe the four types or levels of heroin distributors.
What two drugs of abuse are commonly used as ‘date rape’
drugs?
What is highway interdiction? Describe the major steps.
What purpose does the informant serve in drug investigations?
During undercover operations, what are the two types of
undercover purchases?
What kind of information can surveillance result in?
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Student Questions
Criminal Investigation, 7th Edition
By James N. Gilbert
PRENTICE HALL
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458