THE INFORMER AS A SUBJECT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL OFFENSES RELATED TO THE SALE OF NARCOTICS

One of the key directions in the fight against illegal drug trafficking in Ukraine is the activity of law enforcement agencies, which should be focused on identifying offenders and bringing them to justice. The increase in the number of registered criminal offenses related to the sale of narcotics, as well as the high level of training of persons engaged in this illegal activity, require significant changes in the work of law enforcement agencies. In order to effectively expose such persons, it is necessary to introduce new strategies and approaches to their activities. One of these changes should be the emergence of a whistleblower as a subject of criminal proceedings in the investigated category of offenses. The article examines the role and importance of the whistleblower in criminal proceedings related to the illegal sale of narcotics. It was found that the appearance of this subject in criminal proceedings related to the illegal circulation of narcotics would significantly increase the activity of law enforcement agencies in exposing persons engaged in the sale of prohibited substances. It has been established that the effectiveness of whistleblowers’ activities will primarily depend on the extent to which the state will be able to create appropriate conditions for their cooperation with law enforcement agencies. This involves providing security guarantees, rewards and legal protection for those who provide important information on drug trafficking. In addition, special attention is paid in the study to the rights and guarantees of whistleblowers. Also, a comparison of the guarantees of state protection of whistleblowers and their legal status with whistleblowers in corruption criminal offenses was carried out. It was found that the guarantees for whistleblowers in cases of criminal offenses related to the sale of narcotic drugs are identical to those used in corruption crimes, since these categories of offenses are similar in terms of detection and proof methods. However, a characteristic difference is the issue of remuneration for whistleblowers. Based on the results of the research, relevant conclusions were drawn, and changes to the legislation of Ukraine were proposed. Key words: whistleblower, evidence, pretrial investigation, sale of narcotics, crime prevention, criminal proceedings, criminal offense, drug addiction.