A review of the newly identified impurity profiles in methamphetamine seizures
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Forensic intelligence of synthetic illicit drugs suffers a problem of continuous introduction of new synthetic methods, modification of the existing routes of manufacture, and adulterations practiced by criminal networks. Impurity profiling has been indispensable in methamphetamine intelligence based on precursors, synthetic routes, and chemical modifications during trafficking. Law enforcement authorities maintain the credibility and integrity of intelligence information through constant monitoring of the chemical signatures in the illicit drug market. Changes in the synthetic pattern result in new impurity profiles that are important in keeping valuable intelligence information on clandestine laboratories, new synthetic routes, trafficking patterns, and geographical sources of illicit Methamphetamine. This review presents a critical analysis of the methamphetamine impurity profiles and more specifically, profiling based on impurity profiles from Leuckart, Reductive amination, Moscow, Emde, Nagai, Birch, Moscow route; a recent nitrostyrene route and stable isotope signatures. It also highlights the discrimination of ephedrine from pseudoephedrine sources and the emerging methamphetamine profiling based on stable isotopes.
Description
Full text article. Also available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsisyn.2020.06.004
Keywords
Methamphetamine, Impurity profiles, Stable isotopes, Synthetic route, Forensic intelligence, Methamphetamine intelligence, Illicit drugs, Methamphetamine production, Isotopes
Citation
Onoka, I., Banyika, A. T., Banerjee, P. N., Makangara, J. J., & Dujourdy, L. (2020). A review of the newly identified impurities profiles in methamphetamine seizures. Forensic Science International: Synergy. 2, 194-205