VAK Russia 5.1.4 UDC 343.9

ILLEGAL DRUG TRAFFICKING USING CRYPTOCURRENCY: FORENSIC ASPECT Illegal drug trafficking using cryptocurrency: forensic aspect

Published in Bulletin of Ufa Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia · Issue 3, 2026 · Pages 69–76 · Rubric: Criminal law sciences
Received: 07.12.2025 Accepted: 01.04.2026 Published: 30.09.2026
This article addresses the issue of using cryptocurrency in criminal activities. It focuses on the illegal trafficking of narcotics using cryptocurrency as a means of committing crimes. The properties of cryptocurrency that make it attractive for criminal purposes are examined. A detailed analysis of the forensic characteristics of the crime in question is provided, which are represented by four elements: the subject of the crime, the methods of commission, the identity of the offender, and the mechanism of trace formation. The results of the study provide a substantiated conclusion regarding the need to develop investigative methodologies based on the forensic characteristics of the crime in question.
illegal drug trafficking, cryptocurrency, forensic characteristics, subject of the crime, methods of commission, identity of the criminal, mechanism of trace formation
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