Forensic linguistic examination in criminal cases involving illegal drug sales
Journal: BULLETIN OF THE KALININGRAD BRANCH OF THE SAINT-PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF RUSSIA
№ 4
, 2025
Rubrics: CRIMINALISTICS RESEARCHES
Authors:
1.
Volgograd Academy of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Type:
Article
Pages:
from 93
to 98
Status:
Published
Received:
24.11.2025
Accepted:
02.12.2025
Published:
22.12.2025
Language:
Russian
Keywords:
Forensic linguistic examination, illegal drug trafficking, drug distribution, conspiracy of criminal activity, encrypted communication system, text, implicitness, slang, one-time code.
Abstract (English):
Introduction. Drug addiction is rightly called the plague of the 21st century. Every year, drugs ruin thousands of lives. Regular use devastates physical and mental health, entails severe social consequences for the individual, and often leads to premature death. Currently, drug-related crime is increasingly exploiting technological advances. Drug trafficking has become contactless – via the internet, primarily through its shadow segment, the darknet. Drug gang members communicate with each other in chat rooms, instant messaging apps, and other services. To conceal their illegal activities, they use slang words and expressions, as well as one-time codes. Deciphering these, and thus determining the meaning of the text, is often only possible through specialized linguistic knowledge. Methods. The methodological basis of the study, the results of which are presented in the article, consisted of the dialectical method of cognition of the surrounding reality, a combination of general and specific scientific methods (observation, description, abstraction and generalization, lexical-semantic analysis, contextual analysis, etc.). Results. The author studied the materials of criminal cases initiated under Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the texts of advertisements for the sale of drugs and the search for persons willing to engage in their distribution. This led to the conclusion that members of drug groups often use an encrypted communication system to disguise their activities. This system consists of slang and stylistically neutral words and phrases with special meanings – so-called one-time codes. The semantic content of texts formed with its help can be determined, in particular, by applying the method of contextual analysis, when a word is examined taking into account its verbal and non-verbal environment (presuppositions).
Introduction. Drug addiction is rightly called the plague of the 21st century. Every year, drugs ruin thousands of lives. Regular use devastates physical and mental health, entails severe social consequences for the individual, and often leads to premature death. Currently, drug-related crime is increasingly exploiting technological advances. Drug trafficking has become contactless – via the internet, primarily through its shadow segment, the darknet. Drug gang members communicate with each other in chat rooms, instant messaging apps, and other services. To conceal their illegal activities, they use slang words and expressions, as well as one-time codes. Deciphering these, and thus determining the meaning of the text, is often only possible through specialized linguistic knowledge. Methods. The methodological basis of the study, the results of which are presented in the article, consisted of the dialectical method of cognition of the surrounding reality, a combination of general and specific scientific methods (observation, description, abstraction and generalization, lexical-semantic analysis, contextual analysis, etc.). Results. The author studied the materials of criminal cases initiated under Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the texts of advertisements for the sale of drugs and the search for persons willing to engage in their distribution. This led to the conclusion that members of drug groups often use an encrypted communication system to disguise their activities. This system consists of slang and stylistically neutral words and phrases with special meanings – so-called one-time codes. The semantic content of texts formed with its help can be determined, in particular, by applying the method of contextual analysis, when a word is examined taking into account its verbal and non-verbal environment (presuppositions).
Keywords:
Forensic linguistic examination, illegal drug trafficking, drug distribution, conspiracy of criminal activity, encrypted communication system, text, implicitness, slang, one-time code.
Forensic linguistic examination, illegal drug trafficking, drug distribution, conspiracy of criminal activity, encrypted communication system, text, implicitness, slang, one-time code.
