The «drop» phenomenon in the process of legalization of criminal incomes: operational and search aspect

The topical issues of using «droppers» in the mechanisms of legalizing criminal proceeds from the perspective of theory and practice of operational and search activities carried out by the operational units of the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation are examined in the article. The impact of the given phenomenon on the commission of theft-related crimes using information and communication technologies is analyzed. In order to expand the conceptual framework of operational and investigative science, the author presents his own definitions of the term «dropper» and several related concepts and suggests the classification of «droppers» based on their degree of involvement in illegal activities. The priority areas for optimizing the use of powers, means, and methods of operational and search activities to counter the mentioned criminal practices are identified. Based on the analysis of open sources, the author develops the typology of «droppers» and defines their intelligencesignificant features as well as substantiates the need for the integrated approach to countering the mentioned form of criminal activity including the development of algorithm for relevant operational-search measures.