Classification of Valuable Minerals and other Natural Formations for the Purpose of Qualifying their Illicit Trafficking

Abstract

The article deals with the relevance of minerals and other natural formations to the subject of crimes, expressed in the illegal circulation of precious, semi-precious, colored ornamental stones from the standpoint of gemology, mineralogy, criminal and other legislation, science, and related problems of qualifying such crimes. Suggestions of a theoretical nature are made to improve the criminal legislation and the practice of its application. Responsibility for illegal trafficking of minerals and other natural formations that have increased value in the eyes of society is established by Articles 191, 192, 255 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (both in Part 1 and Part 2 of this article, containing independent main elements of the crime). They can also be the subject of embezzlement (Articles 158—164 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), acquisition or sale of property knowingly obtained by criminal means (Article 175 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and some other crimes.