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- INTELLIGENCE ALERT- XANAX BLOTTER PAPER IN BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Northeast Regional Laboratory (Tahlequah) recently received a partial sheet of blotter paper, with a Xanax tablet shape with the word “XANAX” inside the tablet shape imprinted repeatedly on one side (see Photo 1) and the word “XANAX” imprinted repeatedly on it in bold letters on the opposite side (photo not shown), suspected LSD. The exhibit was seized in Bartlesville by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, pursuant to a traffic stop for suspected DUI (Bartlesville is in the northeast corner of the state, near Tulsa). The sheet contained 86 dosage units, segmented into ¼ inch squares. UV irradiation did not give the bright fluorescence usually observed with LSD blotter paper, and analysis of methanolic extracts by GC and GC/MS indicated not LSD but rather alprazolam (not quantitated, but a moderate to high loading based on the chromatograms). A similar submission was previously submitted to the laboratory; however, that exhibit consisted of only two squares, and was imprinted with “XANAX” on only one side. In the latter case, analysis again indicated a heavy loading of alprazolam. [Editor’s Notes: Xanax is a trade name for alprazolam. Over the past five years, there have been numerous reports of blotter paper laced with drugs other than LSD, usually designer tryptamines and phenethylamines. However, use of benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam) for this purpose is unusual. Submissions of blotter paper actually containing LSD are currently uncommon.] * * * * * - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - MDMA INSIDE A MARIJUANA "BLUNT" IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory in Baton Rouge recently received a plastic bag of marijuana (confirmed), two green Ecstasy-type tablets (MDMA confirmed), and a hand-rolled cigar, an apparent marijuana “blunt.” The exhibits were seized in Baton Rouge by the Baton Rouge Police (no further details). The cigar was approximately 9 x 1 centimeters, weighed 1.68 grams, and was visually unremarkable. However, upon disassembly for sampling purposes, the core was found to contain a sprinkling of pink granules, apparently a crushed up tablet, mixed throughout the plant material (see Photos 2a and b). Analysis of the plant material by microscopy and Duquenois-Levine confirmed marijuana (THC not quantitated). Analysis of the pink substance (not weighed separately) by GC and GC/MS indicated MDMA, caffeine, and procaine (MDMA not quantitated, but much less than the caffeine and procaine). This is believed to be the second such submission to the laboratory.
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"READY TO USE" VIALS OF INJECTABLE HEROIN SOLUTIONS IN FARAH PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN The DEA Special Testing and Research Laboratory (Dulles, Virginia) recently received several submissions of sealed injection vials, each containing approximately 2 milliliters of yellow to golden colored liquids, purported heroin solutions (see Photo 3). The exhibits were seized by the Afghanistan Special Narcotics Force (ASNF) and DEA personnel at a residential complex in Farah Province, Afghanistan (located in the western part of the country, bordering Iran). In all, about 25 of the vials were submitted for analysis (there were over 200,000 such vials at the complex). Analysis via GC/FID, GC/MS, NMR, FTIR-ATR, and CE confirmed that the liquids were solutions of heroin hydrochloride in water (pH 4 - 5), varying from trace to 13 milligrams/milliliter (most were between 12 - 13 milligrams/milliliter). O6-Monoacetylmorphine was the primary component in solutions with low heroin concentrations, and it appears that in these cases the heroin hydrolyzed before the solution was analyzed. Pheniramine and caffeine were also found in some of the solutions. Based on investigative intelligence, it is believed that the vials were prepared as “ready-to-use” injectable heroin solutions. These were the first submissions of this type to the Special Testing and Research Laboratory.
* * * * * - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - COCAINE AND HEROIN SMUGGLED IN COMPOSITE "ROCKS" The DEA North Central Laboratory (Chicago, Illinois) recently received 3 separate exhibits containing a total of 18 apparent rocks, 16 of which contained powders that field-tested positive for cocaine, and two of which contained powders that field-tested positive for heroin (see Photo 4). The exhibits were seized by Immigration and Customs (ICE) personnel (locations and details sensitive). The rocks were about the size of footballs, weighed about 4 kilograms each, were spray-painted silver, and were wrapped in plastic tape and bubble wrap (see unopened packages in Photo 4). The field-testing samples were acquired by ICE personnel by drilling into the rocks. At the laboratory, the rocks were easily cracked open in a vice, revealing a gray layer, a black layer, and a wrapped package of powder (see Photo 5). The gray material appeared to be a form of granite composite (the type used in production of countertops). The black layer was epoxy. The powders were variably packaged in plastic wraps, grease, carbon paper, plastic mesh, and/or tan tape. The first exhibit (16 rocks) contained a net total of 5.9 kilograms of off-white powder; analysis by GC/MS, IR, and GC/FID confirmed 59.6 percent cocaine hydrochloride adulterated with 0.5 - 2 percent levamisole. The second exhibit (1 rock) contained 1.0 kilogram of tan powder; analysis by GC/MS, IR, and GC/FID confirmed 84.1 percent heroin hydrochloride. The third exhibit (1 rock) contained 998 grams of tan powder; analysis by GC/MS, IR, and GC/FID confirmed 79.9 percent heroin hydrochloride. This was the first submission of this smuggling technique to the North Central Laboratory.
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ECSTASY COMBINATION TABLETS (CONTAINING MDMA, METHAMPHETAMINE, BZP, TFMPP, DIBENZYLPIPERAZINE, CAFFEINE, AND PROCAINE) IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA The DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory (Largo, Maryland) recently received 705 yellow tablets with a Superman logo, suspected MDMA (see Photo 6). The exhibits were seized at a mail distribution facility in Norfolk, Virginia by the Norfolk Police. Analysis of the tablets (total net mass 198.1 grams) by GC/MS, TLC, and GC confirmed MDMA (10.9 milligrams/tablet), adulterated with methamphetamine (6.1 milligrams/tablet), N-benzylpiperazine (BZP), 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-piperazine (TFMPP), dibenzylpiperazine, caffeine, and procaine. The three piperazines were not quantitated; however, based on the TIC and GC, the BZP and TFMPP were both higher in concentration than the MDMA and methamphetamine. The tablets also contained MDP2P and piperonal (both indicative of the MDMA synthesis route). The Mid-Atlantic Laboratory has seen a wide variety of Ecstasy combination tablets containing both MDMA and methamphetamine, and a few Ecstasy-mimic tablets containing BZP and TFMPP mixtures, but this is believed to be the first such submission containing all four of these drugs.
* * * * * - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - l-METHAMPHETAMINE IN "ICE"-LIKE FORM IN BILLINGS, MONTANA The DEA Western Laboratory (San Francisco, California) recently received two small ziplock type bag exhibits of white crystals, suspected “Ice” methamphetamine (no photo). The exhibits were acquired in Billings, Montana, by personnel from the Eastern Montana HIDTA (no further details). Analysis of the samples (combined net mass 9.7 grams) by FTIR/ATR, NMR, and GC/MS confirmed methamphetamine hydrochloride (29 and 32 percent, respectively), diluted with dimethylsulfone (not quantitated). However, derivatization with trifluoroacetyl-prolyl chloride and GC/FID analysis confirmed that the samples were both l-methamphetamine hydrochloride. The Western Laboratory rarely receives exhibits of l-methamphetamine. * * * * * SELECTED REFERENCES [The Selected References section is a compilation of recent publications of presumed interest to forensic chemists. Unless otherwise stated, all listed citations are published in English. Abbreviated mailing address information duplicates that provided by the abstracting service. Patents and Proceedings are reported only by their Chemical Abstracts citation number.]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS Title: 30th Annual SWAFS Meeting (Second Bimonthly Posting) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
