Current issues in the qualification of crimes stipulated in Articles 228 and 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

The article presents a comprehensive investigation into the extant challenges in the qualification of crimes delineated in Articles 228 and 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Officially reported current statistical data, characterizing the dynamics of drug-related crime in general and the aforementioned offenses in particular, are analyzed. The most salient international and domestic legal acts, governing the regulation of narcotic substances and the foundations for combating their illicit trafficking, are identified. Furthermore, the heightened degree of public danger posed by the category of acts under consideration is substantiated. Based on a synthesis of modern judicial practice, typical errors in qualification pertaining to the corpus delicti, objective and subjective side are identified and analyzed. The legal positions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on these issues are examined. Recommendations for optimizing law enforcement mechanisms in the sphere of counteracting illicit drug trafficking are formulated.