The use of methylamphetamine chemical profiling in an intelligence-led perspective and the observation of inhomogeneity within seizures

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_2E313EEEEE60
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The use of methylamphetamine chemical profiling in an intelligence-led perspective and the observation of inhomogeneity within seizures
Journal
Forensic Science International
Author(s)
Morelato M., Beavis A., Tahtouh M., Ribaux O., Kirkbride P., Roux C.
ISSN
1872-6283; 0379-0738
ISSN-L
0379-0738
Publication state
Published
Issued date
01/2015
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
246
Pages
55-64
Language
english
Abstract
This study focuses on methylamphetamine (MA) seizures made by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate the use of chemical profiling in an intelligence perspective. Correlation coefficients were used to obtain a similarity degree between a population of linked samples and a population of unlinked samples. Although it was demonstrated that a general framework can be followed for the use of any forensic case data in an intelligence-led perspective, threshold values have to be re-evaluated for each type of illicit drug investigated. Unlike the results obtained in a previous study on 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) seizures, chemical profiles of MA samples coming from the same seizure showed relative inhomogeneity, limiting their ability to link seizures. Different hypotheses were investigated to obtain a better understanding of this inhomogeneity although no trend was observed. These findings raise an interesting discussion in regards to the homogeneity and representativeness of illicit drug seizures (for intelligence purposes). Further, it also provides some grounds to discuss the initial hypotheses and assumptions that most forensic science studies are based on.
Keywords
Illicit drug profiling, Forensic intelligence, Methylamphetamine, Seizure homogeneity, Representativeness
Create date
18/12/2014 10:45
Last modification date
20/08/2019 13:12
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