A crime script analysis of synthetic drug production

Abstract Combating the criminal networks involved in synthetic drug production has proven to be a challenge due to their scale, resilience, and highly dynamic and innovative nature. However, there is still limited detailed understanding of how these networks operate in practice and how synthetic drug production is organized at different stages. This study aims to systematically map the modi operandi of synthetic drug production through a crime script analysis of 189 Dutch court rulings, concerning the production, processing, and preparation of methamphetamine, amphetamine, and MDMA/XTC. The constructed crime script consisted of seven key acts and 18 unique roles, with each act described through scenes structured across four phases: preparation, pre-activity, activity, and post-activity. The crime script also served as an analytical framework for exploring the dynamics and organization of the crime commission process. The analysis revealed that synthetic drug production is a highly dynamic and interconnected process, characterized by the continuous movement of products between locations, considerable diversity in the types of locations used, and the frequent processing of multiple drug types at one location. The crime script developed in this study provides a comprehensive overview of the crime commission process and offers a foundation for understanding the organization, adaptation, and resilience of the criminal networks involved in synthetic drug crime.