TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of methylamphetamine chemical profiling in an intelligence-led perspective and the observation of inhomogeneity within seizures
AU - Morelato, Marie
AU - Beavis, Alison
AU - Tahtouh, Mark
AU - Ribaux, Olivier
AU - Kirkbride, Kenneth
AU - Roux, Claude
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Forensic intelligence
KW - Illicit drug profiling
KW - Methylamphetamine
KW - Representativeness
KW - Seizure homogeneity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84913568802&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.041
DO - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.041
M3 - Article
VL - 246
SP - 55
EP - 64
JO - Forensic Science International
JF - Forensic Science International
SN - 0379-0738
ER -