IDENTIFICATION AND EXAMINATION OF DANGEROUS DRUGS

DRUG IDENTIFICATION- The branch of forensic chemistry the deals with the scientific
examination of drugs and volatile substances.
- Usually conducted by a forensic chemist/officer to determine the presence of
dangerous drugs on submitted specimen.
- The chemist officer also conducts drug test on body fluids of suspected drug pushers
and users to determine the presence of dangerous drug metabolites.
- Paraphernalia like smoking pipers, tooters and aluminum foils should also be
submitted for examination to determine the presence of drugs.

Two phases in the examination of the alleged confiscated dangerous drugs:

1. Screening test/ Preliminary test also known as the color test.
- This test is nonspecific and preliminary in nature. It is employed to reduce, the
family or group of drug to a small and manageable number.

2. Confirmatory test
- The method employed to confirm the results of the screening test.
- This test involves the application of an analytical procedure to identify the presence
of a specific drug or metabolites.

DRUGS TEST USED COLOR REACTION

OPIUM MARQUIS TEST PURPLE/VIOLET
HEROIN NITRIC ACID YELLOW-GREEN
MORPHINE NITRIC ACID RED-ORANGE
COCAINE COBALT THIOCYANATE BLUE
BARBITURATES DILLE-KEPANYI TEST OR THE VIOLET/BLUE
ZWIKKER TEST
AMPHETAMINES MARQUIS TEST RED/OARNGE-BROWN
LYSERGIC ACID EHRLICH VIOLET
DIETHYLAMIDE
MARIJAUNA DUQUENOIS-LEVINE TEST RED BOTTOM LAYER
OR KN TEST
ECSTASY SIMON TEST BLUE
MESCALINE MARQUIS TEST ORANGE
CANNABIS DUQUENOIS-LEVIN TEST VIOLET
CODEINE NITRIC ACID ORANGE/YELLOW
SHABU SIMON TEST BLUE
CHEMICAL TEST AND ANALYSIS
ROMBERGS TEST- A test used to determine if the person is drunk or not.

CHROMATOGRAPHY- is the process of separating mixture and comparing the migration of

each component with standard. Some chromatographic techniques include:
1. Gas chromatography
2. Thin layer chromatography
3. High pressure liquid chromatography

What is GAS chromatography?

 1. It is a separate technique
2. The mobile phase is a gas
3. Separation is based on the difference in migration rates among sample
components.

Spectroscopy- a conirmatory method whereby light is used to identify the sample specimen.

Fourier- transform infared spectroscopy (FTIR) used for the identification of pure organic
substances. Identifies organic substances particularly dangerous drugs and explosive
ingredients based on their characteristics functional groups.

Ultra violet- visible spectroscopy- used for screening of dangerous drugs in urine specimen.

Examination of the urine specimen

- The rate excretion from the body depends on thr drugs solubility in fat. Water
soluble drugs such a cocaine excreted quickly while fat soluble drugs such as
marijuana may take several weeks or months before excretion.

Validity test for urine specimen- Validity test is conducted to determine the integrity of the
samples.

Reasons for conducing validity tests

- In cases of unobserved urine collection
- When there is suspicion that the urine specimen has been tampered.

Instances when to allow unobserved urine specimen collection

- When donor is physically unable to go to the laboratory.
- When donor is involved in a crime scene
- When donor is involved in post-accident trauma
- When donor is critically ill

Different types of Tampered Urine Specimen

a. Adulterated- a specimen containing either a substance that is not a normal
constituent for that type of specimen or containing an endogenous substance at a
concentration that is not a normal physiological concentration.

Ways to Adulterate Urine Samples

- Addition of salt
- Addition of juice
- Addition of detergent
- Addition of bleach and oxidizing adulterants
- Addition of illicit drugs

b. Diluted- refers to a specimen with less than normal physiological constituents.

Ways to Dilute a Urine Specimen

1. Internal Dilution- drinking a lot water before collection.
2. External Dilution- addition of water to previously collected urine.

c. Substituted- a specimen which has been derived through switching or replacement

of the original sample.
Ways to Substitute Urine Samples
- Urine from friends or other persons not using drugs may be used as substitute
specimen.
- Replace sample with other substance similar to urine in appearance.