The lack of specific controls regarding fentanyl is very similar to the regulatory situation for ephedrine (DEF file).
To talk about it Fentanyl and the vulnerabilities they present Argentinait is necessary to remember this History of Ephedrine. The Lack of regulation about imports and exports of this substance Diversion of tons of this substance to Mexico for the production of methamphetamines.
In those years, the local market for ephedrine was not zero, but the amount imported was small compared to the amount imported for the drug trade.
Currently it is Fentanyl market This involves importing small quantities of grams depending on production for local needs. However, one company imported 2.5 kilograms in a single shipment without any consequences.
Argentina It is also identified as Cocaine smuggling route to Europe and from Marijuana to Chile. He Diversion of medical substances or synthetic drugs It is not representative and attractive, and there are other better solutions for criminal organizations. The Lack of natural conditions It is precisely the factor that can cause the route to grow unnoticed.
If of ephedrineSince there were better routes to get the substance to Mexico, the decision was made Argentine circuit. Further legal conditions, coverage, logistics and money laundering options Criminal organizations They let them take advantage of us Vulnerabilities establish one multi-million dollar criminal business.
Secondly, the conditions for use by one or more criminal organizations are met Weaknesses in the legal systemas well as the possibilities of Import and export of medicines. The existence of an organization dedicated to introducing medications in the United States through an online pharmacy service has already been proven. (GoldPharma) and the international postal system, and then launder money in the national territory.
There is a local market for fentanyl and several companies are dedicated to importing and producing drugs based on this substance (DEF file).
Thirdly, there is one local fentanyl marketAnd multiple companies to which they are dedicated Import and manufacture of medicines based on this substance. The drug is primarily offered in liquid form for intravenous administration, with hospitals being the only place where it is used therapeutically.
There are also lectures in oral tablets slowly dissolving and Skin patches progressive release, the application of which is carried out by the patient himself. With him concentrated powder for making a solution for injection and for perfusion, the three presentations are the main goal of the human traffickers. A liquid fentanyl product is suitable for drug abuse for personal consumption by venous injection or crystallization by evaporation (similar to the use of ketamine).
Since 2007, there have been cases in Argentina of anesthesiologists who abused fentanyl with access and knowledge. Patch presentations are currently the most common form of illegal personal consumption, since the amount of active ingredient in the patch is much higher than the therapeutic dose. Through a process of boiling in water and vaporizing, users extract the fentanyl from the patch.
In USACases of poisoning due to ingestion of parts of the patch have been recorded. The tablets are taken without any processing because the dose of fentanyl is so small that it is difficult to extract it from the rest of the excipients.
The medication can be administered in liquid form, as an oral tablet or as a skin patch. The three dosage forms are the main target of drug traffickers (DEF file).
At the moment, a company has entered the market with a very strong commitment to leading that Skin patch export segment, and has already invested $1.4 million in building a new laboratory. It's about the only company in America, outside the USA and Canadain producing therapeutic patches intended for the European market.
However, pharmaceutical companies not only produce and export medicines pure fentanyl powder and chemical precursors such as ANPP and NPP, which were included in List 1 of controlled substances in 2018 by Decree 743/2018.
The elements for the production of medicines are the main target of the Drug trafficking operations. In Argentina, in this market Brazilian Primeiro Capital Command (PCC). Although there is an international market for drugs being diverted, it is primarily a criminal activity Trade in the pure substance (powder) directly into the center Fentanyl use; that is, to American soil.
A local market without serious controls can create a illegal source of raw materials to hide it better routereceive legal imports and divert them under the pretext of drug production.
The Changes to postal and parcel systems, in pursuit of greater trade and economic profitability, could mean a reduction in the control capacity of the substances traded. Although the shipments are checked and checked, Fentanyl is a substance that, due to its specific characteristics, is ideal for traffickingthere, because of its power, only Only a small quantity and volume are required for a load worth millions.
It is very easy to hide the substance in various objects. The proposed parcel delivery system is not designed for use by individuals for non-commercial shipments, but rather for the delivery of purchases to other companies that deliver to a specific assigned address. The more complex the delivery system and the more speed is sought Product control capacity will be inversely proportional. Therefore, the establishment of a reduced system of private broadcasts, like those of its predecessors, is necessary GoldPharmacould be used by another criminal group.
In the Argentine scenario, this is undoubtedly the case Conditions for the creation of a criminal organization dedicated to drug diversion, whose active ingredient is fentanyl. The combination of the variables analyzed above suggests that the circumstances for clandestine settlement on Argentine territory would not necessarily represent an attraction for a high-profile criminal organization.
Although there is an international market for diverted drugs, the main crime business is trafficking the pure substance directly to the United States (AFP).
A legal vacuum and lax controls are the main axes of a possible landing organization what in low and medium scaleis dedicated to redirecting raw materials to Mexico or Canada for import into the United States or shipping directly to the United States and Europe. As we have already emphasized, the Argentine market is small and covers local needs Primary control of raw material receipts and their marketing is possible. Analyzing income and marketing streams would make this possible determine whether production actually corresponds to demand.
The ultimate location of a Company specifically designed for production for export presents a worrying scenario. It could create an anchor point in Argentina clandestine distribution to consumer countries. This is the phenomenon that occurred among companies dedicated to marketing ephedrine for export purposes.
The Transforming a pharmaceutical company into a criminal organization This could be done by exploiting the circumstances to make a profitable business in the face of the crisis and the low dollar value of government assets. The General economic conditions in Argentina wouldn't correspond to that Investment expectations that a company can expect in terms of stability and profitability, which could be a determining factor criminal tendency.
At the level of state structure a Work synergy and direct institutional cooperation between the National Agency for Drugs, Food and Medical Devices (ANMAT) and that National Register of Basic Chemical Substances (RENPRE)to allow a correct flow of information and a comprehensive knowledge of the scenarios we face.
A legal vacuum and lax contracts are the main factors that could result in the landing of an organization that sends raw materials to Mexico or Canada for import into the United States, or their delivery directly to Europe and the United States (DEF file) .
*The author is a Fellow Researcher at the Center for Secure Free Society. He is currently the national director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of National Security.