Features of the personality of a criminal involved in illegal trafficking of weapons

The article examines the criminologically significant characteristics of the personality of criminals committing offenses in the field of illegal arms trafficking. The relevance of the work is due to the high social danger of this type of crime and the necessity of improving preventive measures in line with modern trends. The author conducts a comparative analysis of the criminal personality based on the study of statistical data, judicial practice materials, and the results of empirical research. The author describes the socio-demographic, criminal-legal, and psychological characteristics of this category of individuals. Age, educational, and professional parameters are established, as well as the specifics of criminal experience. The author highlights the persistent predominance of men and analyzes the characteristics of women's involvement in committing crimes in this category. Special attention is given to the motivation for unlawful behavior: the author has developed a classification of the criminal personality based on the criterion of motivation for criminal behavior. The research utilized formal-legal and comparative methods, as well as analysis, induction, and deduction methods. The author notes the transformation of the age structure: the share of individuals over 50 years old in the total number of identified criminals is increasing compared to past years, while the proportion of youth under 25 remains insignificant. The influence of digitalization on the forms of illegal arms trafficking is discussed, including the use of information and telecommunication networks and cryptocurrency. The obtained results can be considered when planning preventive measures and in the activities of law enforcement agencies aimed at combating crimes in the field of illegal arms trafficking. In particular, it is proposed to shift the focus from general work with youth to targeted impact on older age groups, as well as to develop methods to counter illegal arms trafficking carried out using digital technologies.