Representative Sampling of “Street” Drug Exhibits

Colón, Maria Nieves; Rodriguez, Gloria; Díaz, Ramón Orlando

doi:10.1520/jfs13450j

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…A random sample of approximately one‐third of the banknotes was selected for analysis from the top, middle and bottom of the exhibit. This sampling process is adopted since it is important that the banknotes analysed can reasonably be taken as representative of the bundle as a whole 19. Details of the number of banknotes analysed of each denomination were also recorded.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid comparison of diacetylmorphine on banknotes by tandem mass spectrometry

Ebejer

Brereton

Carter

et al. 2005

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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A procedure is described for the determination of the distribution of the contamination of banknotes with controlled drugs using tandem mass spectrometry. The method is illustrated using diacetylmorphine, which is the major active component of heroin. A series of banknotes is introduced into the mass spectrometer and the intensities of two product ions (m/z 328 and 268) derived from the precursor protonated molecule (m/z 370) are recorded. A banknote is considered contaminated if it shows a significant peak for both product ions, and if the ratio of intensities of these two peaks falls within accepted limits. The distribution of diacetylmorphine on sterling banknotes taken from general circulation within the UK can be modelled by an arcsin (square root) transformation of the data or by a log transformation of the data with a higher proportion of contamination. The two models were found to be in close agreement, predicting an upper limit (at 99.9% confidence) of contamination on banknotes from general circulation between 9 and 10%. The percentage contamination in a case study was calculated and compared to the background distribution using the two models proposed. This comparison revealed that the contamination present in the case study was inconsistent with that present on banknotes in general circulation. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Heroin comprises a complex mixture of alkaloids resulting from the acetylation of latex obtained from the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum.1 The names 'heroin', 'diamorphine' and 'diacetylmorphine' (DAM) are often used interchangeably, but we here use DAM to describe the specific compound which is the major active and most characteristic constituent of illicit heroin. DAM is stringently controlled (class A in the UK) according to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and subsequent legislation. 2 Alongside DAM, the drugs cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA or 'ecstasy'), and cannabis, are reported to be the controlled substances most commonly implicated in drug-related crime.3 Individuals involved in drug-trafficking are not necessarily in personal possession of the drugs, and it is advantageous to establish an association with drugs through items in their possession, especially large quantities of cash which may be seized in accordance with the Drug Trafficking In this paper, experimental details of the technique are given and a case study is presented in which banknotes seized in London (UK) were submitted for analysis on suspicion of association with heroin. The pattern of contamination with DAM was compared to an extensive background database, which was considered to be representative of banknotes in general circulation within the UK. EXPERIMENTAL InstrumentationData were acquired using an API 365 triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (MDS Sciex, Concord, Ontario, Canada), employing a custom-built thermal desorption inlet (Fig. 1).An ambient airflow (regulated at approximately 25 L/min) through the transfer line was achieved by maintaining a slightly reduce...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid comparison of diacetylmorphine on banknotes by tandem mass spectrometry

Ebejer

Brereton

Carter

et al. 2005

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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“…Considering a group of heroin street doses, packed in similar packaging, a sampling rule can be applied to this population. If a large number of street doses are seized with different groups of external characteristics, these have to be separated into as many groups as dissimilarities [13] [18]. Each group is considered as a whole population and sampled alone.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of Evidence Analysis Cost Using Arbitrary Re-Sampling Techniques for Sample Influx into Forensic Science Laboratory

Manyele¹

2017

ENG

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This study analyzes the sample influx (samples per case file) into forensic science laboratory (FSL) and the corresponding analysis costs and uses arbitrary re-sampling plans to establish the minimum cost function. The demand for forensic analysis increased for all disciplines, especially biology/DNA between 2014 and 2015. While the average distribution of case files was about 42.5%, 40.6% and 17% for the three disciplines, the distribution of samples was rather different being 12%, 82.5% and 5.5% for samples requiring forensic biology, chemistry and toxicology analysis, respectively. Results show that most of the analysis workload was on forensic chemistry analysis. The cost of analysis for case files and the corresponding sample influx varied in the ratio of 35:6:1 and 28:12:1 for forensic chemistry, biology/DNA and toxicology for year 2014 for 2015, respectively. In the two consecutive years, the cost for forensic chemistry analysis was comparatively very high, necessitating re-sampling. The time series of sample influx in all disciplines are strongly stochastic, with higher magnitude for chemistry, biology/DNA and toxicology, in this order. The PDFs of sample influx data are highly skewed to the right, especially forensic toxicology and biology/DNA with peaks at 1 and 3 samples per case file. The arbitrary re-sampling plans were best suited to forensic chemistry case files (where re-sampling conditions apply). The locus of arbitrary number of samples to take from the submitted forensic samples was used to establish the minimum and scientifically acceptable samples by applying minimization function developed in this paper. The cost minimization function was also developed based on the average cost per sample and choice of re-sampling plans depending on the range of sample influx, from which the savings were determined and maximized. Thus, the study gives a forensic scientist a business model and scientific decision making tool on minimum number of samples to analyze focusing on savings on analysis cost.

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“…Variations of the sampling approach and related issues in the context of seized-drug analysis have been described in journal articles and texts [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. International standardizing bodies have published helpful terminologies and protocols on the subjects of sampling and statistics in general [13,14] and on seized-drug sampling in particular [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A probability-based sampling approach for the analysis of drug seizures composed of multiple containers of either cocaine, heroin, or Cannabis

Mario¹

2010

Forensic Science International

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Representative Sampling of “Street” Drug Exhibits

Cited by 18 publications

References 1 publication

Rapid comparison of diacetylmorphine on banknotes by tandem mass spectrometry

Rapid comparison of diacetylmorphine on banknotes by tandem mass spectrometry

Optimization of Evidence Analysis Cost Using Arbitrary Re-Sampling Techniques for Sample Influx into Forensic Science Laboratory

A probability-based sampling approach for the analysis of drug seizures composed of multiple containers of either cocaine, heroin, or Cannabis

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