• Title/Summary/Keyword: illicit trafficking

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Using The Internet As A Tool For The Illicit Sale Of Drugs And Potent Substances

  • Manzhai, Oleksandr;Cherevko, Kyrylo;Chycha, Ruslan;Burlaka, Iryna;Piadyshev, Volodymyr
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.246-250
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    • 2022
  • The article analyzes the regulations of current criminal law and current issues, combating drug crime on the Internet, as well as measures to combat drug crime in the field of modern information technology. In connection with the growth of crimes in the field of drug trafficking committed with the use of information and telecommunications technologies, the urgent task of the state is to find effective ways to reduce drug crime. The article considers criminologically significant aspects of the mechanism of illicit drug trafficking, which is carried out with the use of information and telecommunication technologies and means of remote communication.

Radiation Detection System for Prevention of Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials

  • Kwak, Sung-Woo;Chang, Sung-Soon;Yoo, Ho-Sik
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.35 no.4
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    • pp.167-171
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    • 2010
  • Fixed radiation portal monitors (RPMs) deployed at border, seaport, airport and key traffic checkpoints have played an important role in preventing the illicit trafficking and transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. However, the RPM is usually large and heavy and can't easily be moved to different locations. These reasons motivate us to develop a mobile radiation detection system. The objective of this paper is to report our experience on developing the mobile radiation detection system for search and detection of nuclear and radioactive materials during road transport. Field tests to characterize the developed detection system were performed at various speeds and distances between the radioactive isotope (RI) transporting car and the measurement car. Results of measurements and detection limits of our system are described in this paper. The mobile radiation detection system developed should contribute to defending public's health and safety and the environment against nuclear and radiological terrorism by detecting nuclear or radioactive material hidden illegally in a vehicle.

A Study on Current Status of Detection Technology and Establishment of National Detection Regime against Nuclear/Radiological Terrorism (핵테러/방사능테러 탐지 기술 현황 및 국내 탐지체계 구축 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Kwak, Sung-Woo;Jang, Sung-Soon;Lee, Joung-Hoon;Yoo, Ho-Sik
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.34 no.3
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    • pp.115-120
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    • 2009
  • Since 1990s, some events - detection of a dirty bomb in a Russian nation park in 1995, 9/11 terrorist attack to WTC in 2001, discovery of Al-Qaeda's experimentation to build a dirty bomb in 2003 etc - have showed that nuclear or radiological terrorism relating to radioactive materials (hereinafter "radioactive materials" is referred to as "nuclear material, nuclear spent fuel and radioactive source") is not incredible but serious and credible threat. Thus, to respond to the new threat, the international community has not only strengthened security and physical protection of radioactive materials but also established prevention of and response to illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. In this regard, our government has enacted or revised the national regulatory framework with a view to improving security of radioactive materials and joined the international convention or agreement to meet this international trend. For the purpose of prevention of nuclear/radiological terrorism, this paper reviews physical characteristics of nuclear material and existing detection instruments used for prevention of illicit trafficking. Finally, national detection regime against nuclear/radiological terrorism based on paths of the smuggled radioactive materials to terrorist's target building/area, national topography and road networks, and defence-in-depth concept is suggested in this paper. This study should contribute to protect people's health, safety and environment from nuclear/radiological terrorism.

1970 UNESCO Convention on the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property and its Legal Implementations in the Republic of Korea (문화재 불법 거래 방지에 관한 1970년 유네스코 협약의 국내법적 이행 검토)

  • Kim, Jihon
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.53 no.4
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    • pp.274-291
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    • 2020
  • This year is the 50th anniversary of the adoption by UNESCO in 1970 of the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (the '1970 Convention'). Since its ratification of the 1970 Convention in 1983, the Republic of Korea has domestically implemented the Convention through its Cultural Heritage Protection Act, which was first enacted in 1962. This is a different form of implementation than is normally used for other UNESCO Conventions on cultural heritage, in that the Republic of Korea has recently adopted special acts to enforce the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. In addition, the 1970 Convention has been developed further through the introduction of new Operational Guidelines in 2015 for the concrete enforcement of the Convention, which has provided momentum for the Republic of Korea to analyze its current national legislation related to the 1970 Convention as well as consider its amendment in the future. Overall, the Cultural Heritage Protection Act of the Republic of Korea effectively reflects the duties of States Parties under the 1970 Convention. These include measures to introduce export certificates, prohibit the import of stolen cultural property, return other state parties' cultural property, and impose penalties or administrative sanctions in the event of any infringements. Indeed, the Republic of Korea's implementation of the 1970 Convention was introduced as an example of good practice at the Meeting of State Parties in 2019. However, changes in the illegal market for cultural property and development of relevant international law and measures imply that there still exists room for improvement concerning the legal implementation of the 1970 Convention at the national level. In particular, the Operational Guidelines recommend States Parties to adopt legal measures in two respects: detailed criteria for due diligence in assessing bona-fide purchasers, referring to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, and measures to address the emerging issue of illegal trade in cultural property on internet platforms. Amendment of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and other relevant laws should be considered in order to duly reflect these issues. Taking that opportunity, concrete provisions to facilitate international cooperation in respect of the implementation of the 1970 Convention could be introduced as well. Such measures could be expected to strengthen the Republic of Korea's international legal cooperation to respond to the changing environment regarding illicit trafficking of cultural property and its restitution.

Impurity profiling and chemometric analysis of methamphetamine seizures in Korea

  • Shin, Dong Won;Ko, Beom Jun;Cheong, Jae Chul;Lee, Wonho;Kim, Suhkmann;Kim, Jin Young
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.98-107
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    • 2020
  • Methamphetamine (MA) is currently the most abused illicit drug in Korea. MA is produced by chemical synthesis, and the final target drug that is produced contains small amounts of the precursor chemicals, intermediates, and by-products. To identify and quantify these trace compounds in MA seizures, a practical and feasible approach for conducting chromatographic fingerprinting with a suite of traditional chemometric methods and recently introduced machine learning approaches was examined. This was achieved using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID) and mass spectrometry (MS). Following appropriate examination of all the peaks in 71 samples, 166 impurities were selected as the characteristic components. Unsupervised (principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and K-means clustering) and supervised (partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), support vector machines (SVM), and deep neural network (DNN) with Keras) chemometric techniques were employed for classifying the 71 MA seizures. The results of the PCA, HCA, K-means clustering, PLS-DA, OPLS-DA, SVM, and DNN methods for quality evaluation were in good agreement. However, the tested MA seizures possessed distinct features, such as chirality, cutting agents, and boiling points. The study indicated that the established qualitative and semi-quantitative methods will be practical and useful analytical tools for characterizing trace compounds in illicit MA seizures. Moreover, they will provide a statistical basis for identifying the synthesis route, sources of supply, trafficking routes, and connections between seizures, which will support drug law enforcement agencies in their effort to eliminate organized MA crime.

Analysis of Public Notice of NSSC and Field Application Case Regarding Security of Radioisotopes (원자력안전위원회 방사성동위원소 보안관련 고시 및 현장 적용 사례 분)

  • Lee, Hyun-Jin;Lee, Jin-Woo;Jeong, Gyo-Seong;Lee, Sang-bong;Kim, Chong-Yeal
    • Journal of Radiation Industry
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.303-310
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    • 2018
  • Since Roentgen discovered X-rays, radiation sources have been utilized for many areas such as agriculture, industry, medicine and fundamental chemical research. As a result, human society has gained lots of benefits. However, if a radioactive material is used for the malicious purpose, it causes serious consequences to humanity and environment. Consequently, international organizations including International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) have been emphasizing establishment and implementation of security management to prevent sabotage and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. For this reason, the rule of technical standards of radiation safety management was revised and the public notice of security management regarding radioisotope was legislated in 2015 by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC). Several radioactive sources which have to be regulated under the above rule and the public notice have been utilized in Advanced Radiation Technology Institute (ARTI) of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). In order to control them properly, security management system such as access control and physical protection has been adapted since 2015. In this paper, we have analyzed the public notice of NSSC and its field application case. Based on the results, we are going to draw improvement on the public notice of NSSC and security system.

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of opioid use disorder under the supervision of opioid stewardship programs: it's time to act now

  • Kim, Eun-Ji;Hwang, Eun-Jung;Yoo, Yeong-Min;Kim, Kyung-Hoon
    • The Korean Journal of Pain
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    • v.35 no.4
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    • pp.361-382
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    • 2022
  • The third opium war may have already started, not only due to illicit opioid trafficking from the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle on the international front but also through indiscriminate opioid prescription and opioid diversion at home. Opioid use disorder (OUD), among unintentional injuries, has become one of the top 4 causes of death in the United States (U.S.). An OUD is defined as a problematic pattern of opioid use resulting in clinically significant impairment or distress, consisting of 2 or more of 11 problems within 1 year, as described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Observation of aberrant behaviors of OUD is also helpful for overworked clinicians. For the prevention of OUD, the Opioid Risk Tool and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure are appropriate screening tests before and during opioid administration, respectively. Treatment of OUD consists of 3 opioid-based U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, and non-opioid-based symptomatic medications for reducing opioid withdrawal syndromes, such as α2 agonists, β-blockers, antidiarrheals, antiemetics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and benzodiazepines. There are at least 6 recommendable guidelines and essential terms related to OUD. Opioid stewardship programs are now critical to promoting appropriate use of opioid medications, improving patient outcomes, and reducing misuse of opioids, influenced by the successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs. Despite the lack of previous motivation, now is the critical time for trying to reduce the risk of OUD.

Optimization of image reconstruction method for dual-particle time-encode imager through adaptive response correction

  • Dong Zhao;Wenbao Jia;Daqian Hei;Can Cheng;Wei Cheng;Xuwen Liang;Ji Li
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.5
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    • pp.1587-1592
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    • 2023
  • Time-encoded imagers (TEI) are important class of instruments to search for potential radioactive sources to prevent illicit transportation and trafficking of nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. The energy of the radiation cannot be known in advance due to the type and shielding of source is unknown in practice. However, the response function of the time-encoded imagers is related to the energy of neutrons or gamma-rays. An improved image reconstruction method based on MLEM was proposed to correct for the energy induced response difference. In this method, the count vector versus time was first smoothed. Then, the preset response function was adaptively corrected according to the measured counts. Finally, the smoothed count vector and corrected response were used in MLEM to reconstruct the source distribution. A one-dimensional dual-particle time-encode imager was developed and used to verify the improved method through imaging an Am-Be neutron source. The improvement of this method was demonstrated by the image reconstruction results. For gamma-ray and neutron images, the angular resolution improved by 17.2% and 7.0%; the contrast-to-noise ratio improved by 58.7% and 14.9%; the signal-to-noise ratio improved by 36.3% and 11.7%, respectively.