ROLE OF THE FORENSIC LABORATORY IN SUPPORT OF DRUG ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

• NCJ Number: 61651
• Journal: International Criminal Police Review Issue: 329 Dated: (JUNE/JULY 1979) Pages: 154-162
• Author(s): P J GOMM
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: International Criminal Police Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: France
• Note: TEXT OF A LECTURE GIVEN TO THE HEADS OF EUROPEAN NATIONAL DRUG SERVICES IN FEBRUARY 1977

Annotation

WAYS THE BRITISH FORENSIC LABORATORIES AID IN DETERMINING THE SOURCE AND DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

THE POLICE CENTRAL DRUGS INTELLIGENCE UNIT WAS ESTABLISHED IN ENGLAND IN 1973 TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF INFORMATION: (1) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PARTICULAR DRUG SEIZURES FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, (2) DETERMINATION OF ILLEGAL MANUFACTURE OF A DRUG PREPARATION, (3) DATA VALUABLE IN THE DETECTION OF ILLEGAL DRUG SOURCES, AND (4) EXISTENCE OF A DRUG PREPARATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. AIDING IN THIS OPERATION ARE THE 12 OPERATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES, WHICH ANALYZE ALL POLICE DRUG SEIZURES, AND THE LABORATORY OF THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST, WHICH ANALYZES CONTROLLED DRUGS SEIZED BY CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICERS. THE DRUGS INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY AT THE HOME OFFICE CENTRAL RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT MONITORS ILLEGAL DRUGS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND EXAMINES ILLICIT DRUG PREPARATIONS WHICH APPEAR TO HAVE NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION. THE DRUGS INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY HAS CLOSE LINKS WITH THE HOME OFFICE DRUGS BRANCH AND THE POLICE CENTRAL DRUGS INTELLIGENCE UNIT. ALL DRUGS SEIZED IN SEVERAL LABORATORY AREAS OR IN LARGE AMOUNTS HAVE SAMPLES PLACED IN A PROTOTYPE COLLECTION HELD IN DUPLICATE BY THE DRUGS INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY AND THE POLICE CENTRAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE UNIT. INITIAL LABORATORY WORK INVOLVES THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF SAMPLES RECEIVED FROM THE OPERATIONAL LABORATORIES. A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DRUG DOSAGE FORMS ARE EXAMINED, INCLUDING MACHINE-COMPRESSED TABLETS, MOULDED TABLETS, CAPSULES, POWDERS, SOLUTIONS, AND SEMI-SOLID MATERIALS. TWO OF THE MAJOR DRUGS ABUSED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ARE AMPHETAMINE AND LSD, BOTH OF WHICH ARE USUALLY TAKEN IN TABLET FORM. AN EXAMINATION OF MARKS ON THE TABLETS MADE BY THE COMPRESSING MACHINE CAN FREQUENTLY DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF DISTRIBUTION OF TABLETS FROM A SINGLE SOURCE MACHINE. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TABLET PREPARATIONS INCLUDES EXAMINATION OF TABLET COLOR, QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DRUG CONTENT, AND ANALYSIS OF THE PREDOMINANT INERT MATERIAL. GRAPHIC AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)