Clandestine Drug Manufacturing Laboratories

Frank, Richard S.; Sobol, Stanley P.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-75186-8_1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…There are some other drugs with high potential for abuse and are easy to produce in clandestine laboratories like, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and heroin. Easy and cheap production of illicit drugs combined with high-profit margins is the main source of motivation to establish a clandestine laboratory (Frank and Sobol, 1990;Sobol, 2012). In such premises, not only the illicit drugs are synthesized from precursors, but also street level drugs produced by adding cutting agents (adulterants or diluents) in a highly pure drug to increase the bulk (Sulaiman et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Component analysis of illicit morphia tablets (clandestine laboratory preparation) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry: a case study

Usman¹,

Jamshaid²,

Naseer³

et al. 2018

Egypt J Forensic Sci

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Background: Various synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs like cocaine, amphetamine type stimulants (ATS), and heroin are produced and processed in clandestine laboratories. Every clan lab has its own procedures and protocols for drug synthesis and processing. A drug can be brought up in different forms like pharmaceutical tablets or raw street powder or any else, depending upon different types of adulterants or diluents and the physical modifications required for its transportation. Since a specific drug is synthesized by various clandestine laboratories, it is likely to have some differences between the two samples due to slightly different synthesis protocols used or the nature and concentration of adulterants. Detailed analysis of drug samples can determine, whether the drug belongs to common source or not. The basic purpose of alterations in physical form is to deceive the law enforcement agencies and to increase the bulk. Case presentation: In this article, a clandestine product of an altered form of a drug was analyzed and reported. Two samples of orange colored "morphia tablets" seized by law enforcement officials were submitted for chemical analysis. Both of the samples were analyzed to determine physical and chemical characteristics. In both samples, the tablets were orange in color. The average weight of a tablet was 58.24 mg for sample A, and 68.85 mg for sample B. Qualitative analysis using GC-MS showed that tablets in sample A were composed of caffeine, dextromethorphan, hydromorphone, acetylcodeine, and heroin, while the tablets in sample B were composed of caffeine, acetylcodeine, heroin, papaverine, and noscapine. The concentration of heroin in sample B was much higher than that in sample A. Conclusion: The analysis of morphia tablets showed that these tablets were an altered form of street heroin. On the basis of variation in weight, heroin concentration, impurities, and adulterants in both the samples analyzed, it can be concluded that they belonged to some different sources. Complete drug profiling for organic and inorganic components of tablets is recommended for future prospective.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%