فصلنامه اعتیاد پژوهی
پیاپی 4 (پاییز 1382)

This article reviews Iranian illicit drug market and also addresses the amount of consumption, type of consuming drugs as well as drug prices in Tehran’s market.To examine Iranian drug market, we have reviewed opium prices in Afghanistan and drug transition routes into the I. R. of Iran where some part of transited drugs are exported to Europe and United States of America. Owing to the fact that transited drugs are entering Iran via two border provinces namely Sistan and Baluchistan and Khorassan, and these two provinces have different conditions for drug traffickers, the price and type of transited drugs are varied in each region. In this study, changes in illicit drug prices in entering points (affected by internal situation of Afghanistan), price fluctuations inside the country and main factors of such changes are studied. Meanwhile, factors which influence over prices and their added value are explored; on this basis, there is a regression which estimates the number of those who are active in illicit drug supply inside the country by using the rate of arrestees. The performance of anti-drug agencies is also appraised and there would be an estimation of total funds allocated by these agencies to illicit drug campaign, prevention and treatment. As a consequence, it is determined that the average cost spent for per kg of seized drugs is equal to opium average price. Another matter is drug distribution pattern in Tehran that is estimated through a comparative collation between illicit drug prices and some household consuming goods. It shows the rate of consumed drugs by an addict in comparison to consumed goods.Finally, the performance of rehabilitation centers and addicts’conditions icluding gender, education, income, occupation, marital statute and housing in ational as well as Tehran levels are studied.

Illicit drug problem is one of the most worrying issues of the presenet century in all countries and anti-drug addiction programs are included in the agenda of all governments and international community. Drug abuse/addiction in Iran has been one of the most important social and economical problems for several years and the number and percentage of drug users/addicts are growing. Campaign against this phenomenon needs in-depth recognition of all aspects (economic, social and political) of this problem. So, such programs will be successful in fighting against illicit drugs and drug addiction if they are developed and implemented through a realistic recognition. One can not hope the success of anti-drug programs if they are not planned on the basis of researches. Therefore, reviewing the economical aspect of illicit drugs via usrers’ viewpoints will help to undrestand illicit drug addiction phenomenon. In this article, the behaviour of drug usres is studied on the basis of micro-economic traditional assumptions. The relation between deman and prices of illicit drugs, the relation between tendency to drug consumption and the amount of drug consumption and the relaion between drug consumption and criminal acts are among the discussed issues of this article. Finally, a summary of the situation of illicit drug consumption is presented.

Annaul production of more than 5000 tons of opiates in Afghanistan and the necessity of its traffic into other countries, affects on Iran’s economy as one of the Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. It is more imprtant when drug traffickers joined to new organized crime groups and run different kinds of criminal acts. On this basis, in this article the effects of illicit drug trade and other criminal acts on macro-economy is studied by by using experiences of some countries. Although some researchers believe that funding the criminal acts in countries which have broad financial activities is more than other economies, there are signs that other countries are not protected from this issue. Illicit drug trade consists %20 of money supply in Colombia where central bank officials are faced with some problems. Owing to the special conditions of Iran where is passing through economical period, in this article the experiences of the countries that have been faced with fund-related criminal acts in implementing their reforms and stabilizing policies are addressed. Such experiences indicate that in economical reforming process, informal markets are emerged and informal (underground) economical sections neuteralize governmental policies. In Russia, for example, the lack of an effective banking system and specified exchange market as well as a legal risk-taking system have resulted in arise of an informal system. In one hand, informal systems which obtain their financial resources through criminal acts, keep the faced prices in a high level and in the other hand, influence heavily over financial policies through increasing interest rates and loaning in informal markets.The experiences of reforming economies indicate that the behaviour of their governments is not under control and they promote informal system (underground economy) by serious interventions or unlimited loaning.

The amount of money obtained from illicit drug trafficking and other criminal acts in the global economy is highly growing so that its annual volume is more than United States’ GNP. The injection of this money or a part if it into any country can question the effectivity of its policies. Hence, it is necessary for all governments to adopt and implement relevant laws in order to fight against money laundering made by organized crime groups. However, there should be an estimation of the amount of money considered by money launderers for each country based on its own conditions and and then take appropiate measures via identifying factors affect on money launderers’ efforts. On this basis, John Walker’s money laundering model so-called “Australian Model” is described and then some of its shortcomings are explored.Afterwards, money laundering in Iranian economic conditions is reviewed by using Walker’s hypothesis as well as drug trafficking in the region.

In this article, the author describes the emergence of drug-related black economy in Akra state of Brazil. This state is located in the joint border with Bolivia and Peru. There is a long distance between this state and distribution/selling centers, so there is no industrial laboratories for manufacturing cocaine and drug traders export freebase to Peru and from where to Colombia. Regarding the long distance between Akra and Brazilian capital and its economy which is based on agriculture and trade of rubber and cocaine, the trade of cocaine is a cover for illicit drug traffic. The traders of this state have created a secure edge through their influence among the staff of airport, the police, judiciary and other relevant centers. However, broad social influence is based on family netwoks which have deep roots in the police.Well-known families which have relations not only with criminal organizations but also with police forces, control cocaine market and obtain huge wealth which spreads their power and influence over this state. In this article, the author reviews the effects of cocaine trade on emerging black money as well as the influnce of criminal groups over society.

Political unstability, less respect to the role of law, low life standards and suitable conditions for poppy/coca cultivation, have all affected on growing illicit drug international trafficking. Colombia is the center for global cocaine industry. Colombians had to use ship in the Carribean but now they pass Mexico where the costs are half of using ship. Mexican traffickers permit that the domestic poppy plants turned into herion, Colombian cocaine transited to USA and methamephtamine manufactured and distributed. Golden triangle in southeast Asia is one of the major regions for opium poppy cultivation. This region has seen many guerrilla warfare for selling illicit drugs especially in Myanmar. Manufactured hroin is usually dealt in Thailand. Golden Crescent region in southwest Asia has a suitable climate for opium poppy cultivation which provides necessay money for purchasing needed weapons by rival groups in northwestern border provinces of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria is one of the main centers for transporting heroin from Golden Crescent and cocaine from Brazil. Dominics run cocaine trade in New York and New England and Afro-American criminal organizations conduct heroin trading in big cities such as New york, Detroit, Chicago, Phila Delphia and Washington. Street trading of illicit drugs is mainly done by cultural or commanding gangs. Illicit drug traffickers apply many methods to laundering their profits including money exchange, smurfs, electronic transferring, and faced firms (the firms that are only registered).