Traffick, Transit and Transaction: A Conceptual Framework for Action Against Drug Supply

Abstract

Abstract: Using consultations with local police officers, consideration of some international and national case studies from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and National Crime Squad and review of research literature, three broad sets of potential criteria for effectiveness and prospects for improvement are noted: (i) taking risks and vulnerabilities of particular structures of criminality into account, disruption‐type criteria could be strengthened by further qualitative research; (ii) opportunity reduction‐type criteria could be strengthened by ‘conjunction of criminal opportunity’ research; (iii) criteria such as transaction prices or ‘costs of doing business’ call for further work by economists. Remaining issues include whether these diverse frameworks should be integrated, and the costs of measuring different levels of enforcement impact