The Drugs section examines and analyses substances, seized by An Garda Síochána or Revenue's Customs Service officers and sometimes the Military Police, that are thought to contravene the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The drugs most commonly encountered in the Forenic Science Laboratory are herbal cannabis, cannabis resin, heroin, cocaine and MDMA. Other substances such as amphetamine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD and Khat are among the wide range of substances presented to the laboratory for analysis.
Selection of tablets
Items that may have come into contact with such substances, e.g. weighing scales, knives, equipment from clandestine labs etc., may be examined to determine if traces of a controlled substance are present.
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| Clandestine laboratory |
A number of analytical procedures are used in the laboratory to determine if a substance is a controlled drug, the most common of which is the use of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). GC/MS provides a powerful means of positively identifying a controlled substance. The results of the analysis are issued in a certificate-of-analysis that is presented as evidence in the court. The laboratory monitors trends in drug use in support of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD).
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| GC-MS Instrument |
In addition to analysis of suspected controlled substances, the drug section is also involved in alcohol and drugs of abuse analysis in blood and urine samples in support of Garda investigations.