|
|
Published by the Drug Enforcement Administration Office of Forensic Sciences Washington, D.C. 20537 The U. S. Attorney General has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by the Department of Justice. Information, instructions, and disclaimers are published in the January issues.
- INTELLIGENCE ALERT - COCAINE IN LARGE ALUMINUM MEDALLIONS FROM GUATEMALA
The DEA Northeast Laboratory (New York, NY) recently received two large aluminum medallions containing a white powder, suspected cocaine (see Photo 1). The medallions were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from the luggage of a passenger arriving on a flight from Guatemala to JFK Airport. Each medallion was made of cast aluminum, weighted 7.3 kilograms, and was approximately 17 inches in diameter and one inch thick. The front of each medallion had a depiction of a 25 Centavo coin (unknown if a "correct" depiction of any actual coinage), while the back was blank. Initial access to the contents was achieved by drilling a small hole in the back; after field testing indicated cocaine, the internal cavities were accessed to recover all of the remaining powder. Analysis of the powder (total net mass 1.94 kilograms) by microscopy, FT IR, GC/FID, and GC/MS confirmed 65 percent cocaine hydrochloride and phenacetin. The Northeast Laboratory routinely receives a variety of exhibits with different concealment techniques, but this is the first time that cocaine was encountered within large aluminum medallions. - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - HEROIN SATURATED CARDBOARD SHEETS IN LUGGAGE
The DEA Southeast Laboratory (Miami, Florida) recently received two black leather, soft sided suitcases, each containing two cardboard baffles with some adhering tan powder, suspected heroin (see Photo 2). The suitcases were seized by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Miami Airport Narcotics Group from a flight arriving from Cali, Colombia. The cardboard sheets measured approximately 3 x 2 feet, and were hidden in false sides in the suitcases (total net mass of Exhibit 1: 2359 grams; total net mass of Exhibit 2: 1724 grams). Analysis by GC, GC/MS, and FTIR ATR confirmed 72 and 69 percent heroin hydrochloride, respectively, in the two exhibits. The laboratory routinely receives absorbent materials laced with controlled substances.
- INTELLIGENCE ALERT - METHAMPHETAMINE WITH PROCAINE IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS
The DEA South Central Laboratory (Dallas, Texas) recently received a commercial cigarette pack containing a zip lock plastic bag containing 26.5 grams of a white powder, suspected methamphetamine (see Photo 3, next page). The exhibit was acquired by DEA agents from the Beaumont (Texas) Resident Office. Analysis of the powder (total net mass was 26.5 grams) by FTIR, GC/MS, and HPLC confirmed 68 percent d methamphetamine hydrochloride, approximately 20 percent procaine hydrochloride, and dimethyl sulfone. This is one of only a dozen times this laboratory has seen procaine HCl mixed with methamphetamine since 1970. In the analyst’s experience, this concealment technique (that is, inside a cigarette pack) is more commonly associated with marijuana, not methamphetamine. - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - METHAMPHETAMINE IN AN ANTIPERSPIRANT ROLL ON
The DEA Southwest Laboratory (Vista, California) recently received a commercial antiperspirant roll on with dried white crystals around the cap threads and a photo globe, both suspected to contain methamphetamine (see Photos 4, right, and Photo 5, next page). The exhibits were seized by agents from the DEA Guam Field Office from a passenger arriving at the Guam airport on a flight from the Phillipines. The dried crystals in the cap threads of the roll-on (see Photo 4) field tested positive for methamphetamine. The roll on (4.5 inches tall with its cap on) contained 30 milliliters of a clear, colorless liquid with a pH of 7 and a blue reaction with Watesmo paper (positive for water); the liquid had a strong perfume odor. Analysis by GC, FTIR ATR, and LC confirmed 616 milligrams per milliliter of methamphetamine hydrochloride. The photo globe (4 x 3.5 inches) contained 210 milliliters of a clear, colorless liquid with a pH of 7 and a blue reaction with Watesmo. Analysis by FTIR ATR and LC confirmed 611 milligrams per milliliter of methamphetamine hydrochloride. These are believed to be the first exhibits of these types submitted to the laboratory.
- - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - INVESTIGATORS SEIZE THREE LEAFED CANNABIS PLANTS [From the NDIC Narcotics
Digest Weekly 2004;3(37):2 On August 24, 2004, investigators from the Adirondack Drug Task Force seized 13 cannabis plants that had three fingered leaves instead of the traditional five. Investigators found the plants in a Beekmantown (Clinton County) field growing in crates that were concealed among blackberry bushes. The plants were approximately 4 feet tall, and buds were developing on many of the plants. Investigators found the plants after an individual provided them with a tip. No arrests were made at the time of the seizure, and the plants have not been analyzed in a laboratory. Task force investigators report that over the past 3 to 4 years there have been several seizures in Clinton County of three fingered leaf cannabis plants as well as one seizure of single fingered leaf cannabis plants. Agencies participating in the Adirondack Drug Task Force include the Clinton County Sheriff's Department, Plattsburgh Police Department, New York State Police, DEA, and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP). NDIC Comment: Traditionally, cannabis plants are thought of as having five leaves; however, the number of leaves on a cannabis plant can vary (although it usually has an odd number of leaves such as three or seven). This seizure follows a widely publicized April 2004 seizure of four immature cannabis plants with three fingered leaves from an indoor grow in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The plants seized in Thunder Bay were atypical in appearance, however, having twig like stalks and broad, rounded leaves, which led to reports of the discovery of a new strain of cannabis. What may be more likely in both of these seizures is that it is an unintentional occurrence of whorled phyllotaxy. In botany, leaf phyllotaxy describes how leaves are arranged on a stem and in relation to one another. Whorled phyllotaxy means three or more leaves at one node of a stem. Information gained through online canvassing reveals that this may be a somewhat common occurrence when growing cannabis. The limited information also suggests that whorled phyllotaxy occurred in plants cultivated from clones of normal plants, and many incidents involved indica varieties, which typically have broader leaves than sativa varieties. Whether whorled phyllotaxy has an effect on plant yield or potency is uncertain. Some growers hopefully suggest that the THC levels of such plants will be higher, while others report that this leaf arrangement previously manifested in plants found to be inferior or male (no buds). The plants seized in Thunder Bay had not yet developed buds and tested at only 1.8 to 2.6 percent THC. - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - COMPANY ANNOUNCES NEW ANHYDROUS AMMONIA ADDITIVE [From the NDIC Narcotics
Digest Weekly 2004;3(37):4 Royster Clark Inc. announced that on September 15, 2004, it will begin marketing a chemical additive designed to reduce the incidence of thefts of anhydrous ammonia (a common agricultural fertilizer that also is used in illicit methamphetamine production). According to company representatives the additive, named GloTell™, works by dying anhydrous ammonia fluorescent pink. If thieves handle the fertilizer, the additive leaves a visible fluorescent pink stain on their skin and clothing. The highly visible stains, even if washed off, are still detectable under ultraviolet light for 24 to 72 hours. The fluorescent pink color also can alert farmers to valves, hoses, or tanks that have been tampered with or are leaking the potentially deadly gas. Additionally, company representatives assert that methamphetamine produced with anhydrous ammonia containing the additive becomes an unbleachable pink color, and the methamphetamine takes longer to dry (24 to 48 hours) because of the additive's water retention properties. Moreover, methamphetamine produced with GloTell™ may leave telltale pink marks on an abuser's nose if snorted or arms if injected. Company representatives state that the additive, which can withstand the cold, corrosive nature of anhydrous ammonia, will not harm the environment, crops, or humans. GloTell™ will be sold in 30 ounce jugs through 250 outlets nationwide. Approximately 1.5 ounces of the additive are needed to treat 1 ton of anhydrous ammonia and will add approximately $9 per ton to the chemical's current cost of approximately $240 per ton. [Editor’s Notes: This Alert is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be regarded as an endorsement by the U.S. Government. The DEA cannot comment on the efficacy or usefulness of this product.] - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - LARGE SHIPMENT OF MARIJUANA CONCEALED IN PIECES OF POTTERY [From the NDIC Narcotics
Digest Weekly 2004;3(39):2 On September 1, 2004, investigators for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, and South Carolina State Transport (STAR) Team seized more than 1,600 pounds of marijuana and arrested four individuals. Investigators made the seizure while conducting a joint investigation on suspicious activity occurring at an Inman "nightclub and pottery business." On the afternoon of September 1, investigators observed a tractor trailer arrive at the business. Three men immediately began unloading large pieces of pottery from the trailer and continued unloading the trailer, even through pouring rain, for approximately 6 hours. After dark, the three men left in a different truck and were stopped by STAR officers. During an inspection of the truck, STAR officers discovered two multipound "bricks" of marijuana in the vehicle. The three men were arrested for possession of marijuana, and county investigators obtained a search warrant for the Inman business. Upon executing the search warrant, investigators discovered approximately 1,600 pounds of marijuana concealed in 3 foot tall clay pedestals. Investigators also arrested a fourth man found inside the business during the search. All four defendants are believed to be Mexican nationals, and investigators suspect that the shipment was smuggled over the Southwest Border. ICE officials report that the case will be presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina for federal prosecution. NDIC Comment: Law enforcement reporting indicates that over the past few years Mexican drug traffickers have been increasingly using locations in the Carolinas to break down large shipments (over 1,000 lb) of Mexico produced marijuana that were smuggled across the Southwest Border. A similar seizure occurred in November 2003 when officers in York County which is approximately 30 miles from Spartanburg County seized over 2,000 pounds of marijuana that was being offloaded from a tractor trailer into other vehicles. Much of the marijuana transported to the area likely is destined for distribution in areas of South Carolina and North Carolina (particularly the Charlotte metropolitan area); however, some is probably destined for other areas in the Southeast and Mid Atlantic regions. - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - VERY LARGE METHADONE LABORATORY SEIZED The Organized Crime Control Section of the St. Petersburg (Russia) Police recently seized a clandestine methadone production laboratory in the Kirov District (located east-southeast of St. Petersburg). The seizure culminated a long term investigation of illicit methadone trafficking and abuse in the St. Petersburg area. The total amount of methadone seized was 18.7 kilograms, by far the largest ever seizure of methdone in Russia. According to the local authorities, the methadone had a street value of between four and four and a half million (U.S.) dollars. Three suspects were arrested (further details unavailable). - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE ALERT - ECSTASY MIMIC TABLETS WITH A SUNFLOWER LOGO CONTAINING
The DEA Northeast Laboratory (New York, NY) recently received 790 round, off white tablets with a sunflower logo, suspected ecstasy (see Photo 6). The tablets were acquired in New York City by agents from the DEA New York Division. Analysis of the tablets (total net mass 215.8 grams) by GC/FID and GC/MS, however, indicated not MDMA but rather 7.6 percent cocaine calculated as the hydrochloride salt (20 milligrams per tablet), along with acetaminophen, caffeine, and a small amount of propoxyphene (salt form and isomer of propoxyphene not determined). This was the first submission of cocaine in tablet form to the Northeast Laboratory, and is believed to be the first submission of tablets with a sunflower logo. - - - - - - - - - - - INTELLIGENCE BRIEF - INTERNET BASED DISTRIBUTORS
OF 2C-T-21 CHARGED IN CONNECTION [From the NDIC Narcotics Digest Weekly 2004;3(39):4 Federal agents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, report that the owner of an Internet based company has been indicted for illegally using the company to distribute controlled substances. One of the charges alleges that a 22 year old man from St. Francisville, Louisiana, died after abusing 2C-T-21 that he purchased through the company's web site. Two 25 year old men operated the company, which sold the drug with a disclaimer that it was for research and not for human consumption. The charges resulted from a federal investigation called Operation Web Tryp that culminated in July 2004. The Las Vegas based owner of the Internet based company was indicted on July 14, 2004, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana and was arrested on July 21, 2004, at his Las Vegas home. At the time of the owner's arrest, federal agents also found evidence that implicated the owner's roommate. The roommate was subsequently charged with four counts of distribution of analogs of controlled substances. NDIC Comment: 2C-T-21 is a common name for the synthetic drug 2,5-dimethoxy-4-(2-fluoroethylthio)phenethylamine. 2C-T-21 belongs to a category of hallucinogens called phenethylamines and is an analog of the Schedule I controlled substance 2C-T-7. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SELECTED REFERENCES [Notes: Selected references are a compilation of recent publications of presumed interest to forensic chemists. Unless otherwise stated, all listed citations are published in English. If available, the email address for the primary author is provided as the contact information. Listed mailing address information (which is sometimes cryptic or incomplete) exactly duplicates that provided by the abstracting services. In addition, in order to prevent automated theft of email addresses off the Internet postings of Microgram Bulletin, unless otherwise requested by the corresponding author, all email addresses reported in the Bulletin have had the “@” character replaced by “ -at- ”; this will need to be converted back (by hand) before the address can be used.]
Additional Reference of Possible Interest:
*
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* THE JOURNAL/TEXTBOOK COLLECTION EXCHANGE The following reference text (occasionally useful for identifying obscure seizure locations) is offered: National Geographic Atlas of the World, 6th Edition; National Geographic Society: Washington, DC, 1990. Libraries have precedence over individual subscribers in requesting items. In this case, postage will be covered by the DEA Office of Forensic Sciences. There were no other offerings of journals or textbooks made over the past quarter. Subscribers are encouraged to donate surplus or unwanted items or collections; if interested, please consult the Microgram website or contact the Microgram Editor for further instructions. The next offering of journals and textbooks will be in the January 2005 issue of Microgram Bulletin. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * THE DEA FY - 2005 STATE AND LOCAL The remaining FY - 2005 schedule for the DEA’s State and Local Forensic Chemists Seminar is as follows:
Note that the school is open only to forensic chemists working for law enforcement agencies, and is intended for chemists who have completed their agency’s internal training program and have also been working on the bench for at least one year. There is no tuition charge for this course. The course is held at the AmeriSuites Hotel in Sterling, Virginia (near the Washington/Dulles International Airport). A copy of the application form is reproduced on the last page of the August 2004 issue of Microgram Bulletin. Completed applications should be mailed to the Special Testing and Research Laboratory (Attention: Pam Smith or Jennifer Kerlavage) at: 22624 Dulles Summit Court, Dulles, VA 20166. For additional information, call 703/668-3337. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS 1. Title:
AAFS 57th Annual Meeting (Third Posting) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 1. Title:
University of Massachusetts Medical School (Third and
Final Posting) Provides testimony in court when necessary. Advises and aides DAL Evidence Officer on identification, classification, and handling of evidence. Qualifications: B.S. in Chemistry or equivalent (requires strong emphasis on Chemistry) plus 3 years relevant experience or Master’s Degree in Chemistry Forensic Science or equivalent and two years of relevant experience. Strong oral and written communicative skills necessary for interaction with other medical center staff as well as outside agencies. Application Procedures: Apply on-line at: www.umassmed.edu. Search keyword: 04-1360. Or mail/fax a resume to: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Human Resources, 419 Belmont Street, Worcester MA 01604; fax 508-856-2390 2. Dupage
County Crime Laboratory (Third and Final Posting) Qualifications: Must have a bachelor’s degree and two years full time drug analysis experience. It is preferred that the applicant has court-testimony experience (been accepted as an expert witness in the drug chemistry discipline). Trainees will not be considered for this position. Hired applicant will be required to successfully complete a competency test prior to assuming independent casework. Application Procedures: If you meet the minimum qualifications and want to be considered for this position, please mail or email a resume or CV to: Director
John Collins Additional Information: Please contact Supervisor Carina Thomas at (630) 407-2096, or cthomas -at- dupageco.org Equal Opportunity Employer * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Over the past ten years, the Computer Forensics community has generated a variety of examination specializations. Examples include the traditional sub disciplines of computer, digital audio, and digital video forensics, as well as newer sub disciplines such as computer server, network intrusion, and embedded technologies forensics. These emerging specializations demonstrate that the Computer Forensics discipline is differentiating to accommodate the rapid changes in information technologies. However, both the traditional and the new sub disciplines share a common technical and procedural foundation, and function properly and effectively using standard best practices. This commonality of origin, and use of standardized best practices, is important to digital evidence laboratory managers, academia, and consumers (investigators, prosecutors, and courts), because it defines the essence of the digital evidence discipline. Understanding the nature of digital evidence helps explain the past and, to a certain extent, helps define the future. A Biological Model Evolutionary Adaptation Similarly, the forensic science community has successfully adapted digital evidence into its forensic accreditation practices. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) now recognizes and accredits digital evidence laboratories. The adaptation of their basic crime laboratory standards to digital evidence laboratories has successfully resulted in several organizations becoming accredited. The success of the legal and forensic communities in adapting to digital evidence examination is in large part due to the mutual agreement on the underlying principals and common origin(s). This common ancestry is based in a structural procedural approach to information that is accurate, replicable, and non reputable. In the Federal legal realm, this process is known as the Federal Rules of Evidence. In the forensic community, the same procedural process is known as the scientific method. Parallel
Evolution Another example is the crime laboratory accreditation process. The ASCLD/LAB standards and the International Standards Organization’s standards for “testing and calibration laboratories” (ISO 17025) have evolved in parallel. ASCLD/LAB originated with the specific intent to professionalize and standardize domestic crime laboratory operations with best practices, whereas ISO originated with the broader intent of establishing international best practices for a wider range of technical testing and calibration laboratories. In essence, crime laboratories are just another type of testing laboratory. Presently, ASCLD/LAB and ISO standards have merged under the new accreditation designation of ASCLD/LAB International, and domestic crime laboratories now can meet the combined sets of standards for accreditation. All DEA laboratories, including its Digital Evidence Laboratory, underwent an ASCLD/LAB International review in September 2004, using a combination of approximately 300 ASCLD/LAB and ISO standards. A third example of parallel evolution is the origination of digital evidence best practices among several different professional technical organizations. There are several widely published digital evidence examination best practices documents. Some of the better known sources are: 1) the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS); 2) the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE); 3) the International Organization of Computer Evidence (IOCE); and 4) the National Institute of Justice’s Best Practices Guide. These guidelines have a commonality of opinion concerning evidence preservation and authentication, despite differing group membership and initial authorship spanning almost a decade of time. Some of the more striking similarities are: 1) almost universal agreement that examinations should be conducted on a copy whenever possible; 2) digital evidence should be authenticated prior to examination; and 3) original or best evidence should not be changed. The Origin of Species Questions or comments? e-mail: Michael.J.Phelan-at-usdoj.gov |
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
