Bulletin on narcotics最新文献

The present article documents an authentic process of heroin manufacturing in Afghanistan: white heroin hydrochloride produced using simple equipment and a small quantity of chemicals. The quantities of chemicals actually used corresponded to the minimum needed for manufacturing heroin. The only organic solvent used was acetone, and only a very small quantity of it was used. Because the chemicals used in the demonstration were from actual seizures in Afghanistan, some of the chemicals had been disguised or repackaged by smugglers. Others had been put into labelled containers that proved to be counterfeit, and some glass containers used were not the original containers of the manufacturer displayed on the label. The brown heroin base prepared as an intermediate step in the process shares some of the characteristics of the South-West Asia type of heroin preparations often seized in Germany. The final product of the documented heroin manufacturing process was white heroin hydrochloride, which shares the key characteristics of the white heroin occasionally seized in Germany and other countries in Western Europe since 2000. The present article demonstrates that this kind of heroin can be produced in Afghanistan.

Since 1995 heroin sample comparisons have been carried out in Viet Nam to establish links between wholesalers and retailers. To that end, the physical and chemical characteristics of samples are analysed: their colour, the packaging material, including fingerprints, diacetylmorphine (heroin) content and the composition of some main alkaloids. At the beginning of 2002, having acquired expertise on impurity profiling and with the support of new instruments, the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Viet Nam introduced the routine impurity profiling of seized heroin and methamphetamine and later undertook to explain that process to national law enforcement bodies. Since then, 375 heroin and 29 methamphetamine samples have been analysed for major and minor impurities. Substances detected in the analysis of illicit heroin include diacetylmorphine, morphine, codeine, 06-monoacetylmorphine and acetylcodeine as well as adulterants such as paracetamol and caffeine. Since methamphetamine impurity profiling began, 29 samples have so far been analysed, and some samples have been grouped through the application of cluster analysis. In the case of heroin, impurity profiling has established a link between two major trafficking groups suspected of obtaining heroin from the same source of production. Analysis has also revealed a link between one wholesaler and several retailers in one region. In addition, impurity profiling provides new information on the preparation and production of some methamphetamine and fake Ecstasy tablets.

Cultivation of poppy as a source of opium alkaloids for legitimate medical purposes has a long tradition in Turkey. The main products are poppy straw and concentrate of poppy straw, obtained from dried poppy capsules. The aims of the study reported in the present article were to establish inorganic element profiles for the poppy-growing provinces of Turkey by means of x-ray analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) and to explore the potential of the technique for determination of origin. Ten elements (sodium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, copper and zinc) were analysed in poppy straw samples from 67 towns in nine provinces. As regards the determination of origin, the most significant finding was the presence of copper and zinc in the poppy straw samples from 8 of the 15 towns in Afyon Province. Since those elements are not normally found in soil, it is assumed that their presence is the result of environmental (industrial) contamination. Differences in the samples from the other eight provinces were less significant, possibly a result of their geographical proximity. Nevertheless, differences in the samples were apparent. Because the findings are relative rather than absolute in terms of presence or absence of individual inorganic elements, further research is required to convert them into operationally usable results. The inorganic element profiles generated in the study have been used to form the basis for the development of a comprehensive database on poppy straw samples, which may be used in comparing samples and determining their origin.

Drugs can cause behavioural impairment of the driver's ability to operate safely That impairment of driving ability can be documented, and biological fluids can be tested for drugs. Most countries have legislation that covers driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Some countries have introduced zero-tolerance laws (per se laws), which prohibit the operation of a motor vehicle while an illicit drug or its metabolite is present in the body, whether or not impairment is manifested. There is growing interest in using saliva (oral fluid) in preliminary roadside testing. Legislation in the state of Victoria, Australia, already allows the use of oral fluid for evidentiary testing in the case of cannabis and methamphetamine. Nevertheless, blood testing will probably remain the most common form of evidentiary testing. It has been estimated that the prevalence of illicit drug use among the general driving population in Europe is in the range of 1-5 per cent, while the prevalence of licit drugs, such as benzodiazepines, affecting driving performance is higher: 5-10 per cent. Epidemiological research is often carried out on offenders and drivers involved in collisions. Among drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, there is a high percentage of licit and/or illicit drug use, as the statistics for Finland in the present article show. The drugs of most concern are amphetamine and amphetamine-type substances, cocaine, cannabis, opiates and benzodiazepines and other sedative-hypnotics. The handling of drugs and driving cases are presented, and a summary of areas for further study are provided.

The present article describes the profiling process developed at the Institute of Forensic Science of the School of Crime Sciences of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lausanne. The technique is oriented towards an operational approach that can be applied directly by drug units of local law enforcement authorities. The background of the development of that technique and issues relating to data sources are outlined. Analytical, statistical and computerized methods for detecting, managing and visualizing linkages are examined in the context of drug profiling. Harmonization of methods and operational use of links are discussed and explained using examples. Finally, adequate communication of forensic information/intelligence is explored as an area of development. This endeavour has helped demonstrate the enormous potential that linking seizures made in different regional markets has for police investigations. The next stage is to focus on implementing this model in a more systematic manner and, if possible, at the national level and even the international level. That harmonization of methods should be pursued in order to maximize the potential of the detected linkages. In conclusion, links established through profiling, combined with traditional information, can be utilized to better understand the market's structure and implement medium- and long-term investigation strategies.

Certainty and truth are, by definition, objectives of science. There is a tendency among people to believe that anything produced by a scientist is science and is therefore certain. On the contrary, scientific findings are not free of error. In fact, science evolves, among other things, by questioning and verifying the ideas and theories that are held to be scientifically valid and by continuously searching for new knowledge. As judicial systems in several countries have evolved over time, they have established minimum criteria for the admissibility of scientific evidence in order to ensure accuracy as far as possible. Forensic laboratories in countries with such requirements have established quality systems as a tool for verifying the standards of the scientific information they provide to courts as evidence. The International Standard ISO/IEC 17025 has been chosen in testing laboratories, including forensic laboratories, to provide uniform technical criteria for developing a quality management system. There is agreement between the ISO standard and admissibility requirements for courts. Therefore, the application of international quality standards to forensic laboratories is of interest to, and must be understood by, not only scientists but also judicial authorities. The present article describes the Costa Rican experience.

1-Phenyl-2-propanone (P-2-P), also known as benzyl methyl ketone (BMK), is the main precursor used in amphetamine synthesis. In recent years, the number of seizures of P-2-P from both licit and illicit drug manufacture has increased. The present article comprises a discussion of some of the largest seizures of P-2-P diverted from regular production to the illicit market. It also presents the methods used in clandestine laboratories to synthesize P-2-P and a forensic approach to identify and differentiate between these methods. To that end, and to facilitate the monitoring of the P-2-P market, a method of P-2-P impurity profiling was designed for comparative purposes and for the identification of the synthesis route. P-2-P samples were analysed by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Out of 36 identified impurities, 14 were selected as markers for sample comparison. On the basis of the GC peak areas of those 14 markers, a cluster analysis was carried out, resulting in three clusters, each corresponding to a given P-2-P synthesis route. The results of P-2-P impurity profiling are stored in both a forensic database and a police database. The forensic database comprises chemical data, such as those on P-2-P purity, additives and specific impurities, as well as information on seized P-2-P samples having a similar impurity profile. Data stored in the police database, which is linked with the forensic database by case identification number, cover the circumstances of seizures and personal details of offenders. The databases enable the full use of forensic data in intelligence work and police investigative activities.

Drug testing plays an important role in the provision of information to health authorities on trends in drug abuse. In the Republic of Korea, the testing of urine and postmortem specimens has been used as part of a programme to monitor and control the abuse of non-controlled drugs, i.e., substances that were not originally included in the lists of controlled substances in that country. Zipeprol, dextromethorphan, carisoprodol and nalbuphine are examples of such drugs, which are widely used as medicines. Increasing levels of abuse of these drugs, including abuse that resulted in fatalities, were confirmed in the Republic of Korea by the results of drug testing. Based on the accumulated data from postmortem specimens, the health authorities in the Republic of Korea subsequently introduced controls on these drugs. A significant drop in fatalities related to the abuse of these non-controlled drugs underlined the importance of timely action for improving community health. In the context of drug testing, the analysis of non-controlled and new drugs always presents a scientific challenge, because specific analytical methods for testing for those drugs are not available. In the Republic of Korea, as part of the drug abuse warning programme, it was necessary to establish methods for the detection and quantification in biological fluids of all four non-controlled drugs and their metabolites in order to monitor the trends in drug abuse. The present paper puts forward epidemiological and clinical data on abuse and fatalities associated with zipeprol, dextromethorphan, carisoprodol and nalbuphine, as well as details of the analytical methods developed.

Recently, the abuse of ketum, an indigenous psychoactive plant, has received a lot of attention in Malaysia. To help national law enforcement agencies control its abuse, the laboratory of the Forensic Division has developed a procedure for its positive identification. Botanical identification may not be practical or conclusive, owing to the wide range of ketum materials available on the market, including dry macerated leaves, powdered leaves and drinks. In order to confirm that a substance is, in fact, ketum or that a preparation is derived from ketum, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is used to definitively identify the presence of the psychoactive principle mnitragynine.

The present paper describes a rapid assessment that was carried out in Cameroon from March to November 1994 and presents a summary of the findings and recommendations. It was the first rapid assessment study conducted by Cameroon in collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States, with technical assistance from the World Health Organization and the support of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme. It was hoped that the study would help to fill gaps in the information available on drug abuser profiles, the types of drugs abused and the response of the community to drug abuse in Cameroon. In focus group discussions, key informant interviews and interviews with drug abusers, it was revealed that Cameroon was not only used by drug traffickers as a transit country, but was also a drug-consuming country. The drug consumers were both males and females from all age groups. The drugs consumed ranged from traditional drugs to imported cocaine and heroin. Cannabis was the most frequently consumed drug, followed by amphetamine-type tablets and a broad range of pharmaceuticals. Solvents were mainly consumed by street children in northern Cameroon. Local beer and gin also held a special place in society. In order to tackle the existing problems, programmes offering preventive education and alternative forms of recreation for youth were necessary, and national policies on demand and supply reduction should be harmonized.