The Reporting Drug Crimes

Abstract

Reporting is the most helpful means of uncovering drug crimes, which are among the most secretive crimes, in order to initiate public prosecution against the perpetrators and obtain the community's right from them. In this, general and specific deterrence is achieved, in addition to developing criminal justice. Since these crimes are among the most serious threats facing our society, especially after 2003, the legal provisions regarding reporting them must be organized in a way that prevents any perpetrator from escaping responsibility, procedures, and legal measures. This is due to the seriousness of drugs and their harm to the perpetrator himself, his family, society, and the state, as we are all united in confronting the enemy of drugs in terms of being affected by them or their harms.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Accordingly, most countries have issued a special law to combat drugs, such as the Iraqi Law on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances No. (50) of 2017, and the Law on Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in the Kurdistan Region No. (1) of 2020. However, it is noted that these two laws are deficient in appreciating the value of reporting to uncover and combat drug crimes, and they have organized their provisions in a way that allows for the non-disclosure of some of these crimes, which opens the door for their spread and the involvement of society in them. This must be dealt with by a strict and quick legislative solution that closes all the doors through which drugs leak into our country.     

This study is divided into two sections. The first section is dedicated to explaining the nature of reporting drug crimes, and it comprises two subsections: the first defines reporting drug crimes, and the second discusses the different types of drug crime reporting. The second section also addresses two subsections: the first examines the role of reporting in mitigating the harm caused by drug crimes, and the second discusses the legal incentives for reporting drug crimes. The study concludes with a set of legal conclusions and recommendations.