Bulk and compound-specific isotopic characterisation of illicit heroin and cling film

Abstract

Comparative analysis involves various but complementary methods and can be used for forensic intelligence purposes to group seizures of heroin into batches. Much forensic analysis now combines expertise in the traditional area of drugs investigation with a detailed understanding of supply, packaging, distribution, and drugs intelligence. It was the intention of this research to determine whether illicit heroin seizures and packaging material can be grouped according to isotopic compositions, and to explore factors that affect the isotopic compositions. In order to achieve these aims, 14 samples of seized heroin, thirteen provided by Avon and Somerset Constabulary (UK), were analysed by elemental analysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS) and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) for carbon and hydrogen isotopes. These tests elucidated that a combination of the δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and δ2H results from EA/IRMS is able to distinguish between most samples of bulk heroin. We speculate that the δ13C values of the alkaloids, obtained by GC/C/IRMS, give indications of different geographical or temporal origins of some of the heroin samples. GC/C/IRMS of the cutting agent, caffeine, provides a means to link dilution events. Fifteen retail cling film samples and seven cling film samples from heroin seizures were analysed by EA/IRMS. A multivariate comparison of the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios was able to distinguish between most of the samples. This technique enabled the cling films from the heroin to be grouped according to seizure. Three solvents were tested on two samples of cling film of known composition. Methanol and chloroform were both found to extract material from PVC and from non‐PVC cling films. Water‐treated PVC was indistinguishable from the untreated PVC and thus water was found to be the most suitable solvent when washing cling film prior to IRMS analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.