NCJ Number
212652
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 50 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 1423-1425
Date Published
November 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This is a case study of a woman who was attempting to smuggle cocaine from South America to the Republic of Ireland by impregnating clothing carried in her luggage with the drug.
Abstract
In June 2002, a Brazilian woman was stopped in Dublin Airport after getting off a flight from Sao Paolo via Madrid. Included in her luggage were six pairs of jeans that had a stiff appearance. The suspicions of the customs officer were aroused by the smell of mothballs, which are often used to reduce the likelihood of drug detection by dogs. Forensic analysis showed that the jeans contained cocaine. Two methods were used to estimate the cocaine content of the jeans: the patches method, which tested a patch of cloth 7 cm x 7 cm cut from the front thigh of each pair of jeans; and a method that used half of each of the three pairs of jeans cut lengthwise. The method that used half of each pair of jeans provided an estimate of the amount of cocaine that was closer to the true amount, although the patches method could be used to obtain a quick upper limit estimation. In addition to outlining a procedure for the easy estimation of the amount of cocaine in cases where clothing is impregnated with the drug, the study shows how light may be used to indicate the areas that have been exposed to cocaine and to provide the basis for an opinion as to how the cocaine was put onto the garments. 1 table, 1 figure, and 5 references