A case story, involving the use of maltitol, a sugar alcohol, as a cutting agent in amphetamine and cocaine powders
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
A case story, involving the use of maltitol, a sugar alcohol, as a cutting agent in amphetamine and cocaine powders. / Reitzel, Lotte Ask; Holm, Niels Bjerre; Linnet, Kristian; Müller, Irene Breum.
In: Scandinavian Journal of Forensic Science, Vol. 22, No. 1, 06.2016, p. 6-10.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - A case story, involving the use of maltitol, a sugar alcohol, as a cutting agent in amphetamine and cocaine powders
AU - Reitzel, Lotte Ask
AU - Holm, Niels Bjerre
AU - Linnet, Kristian
AU - Müller, Irene Breum
PY - 2016/6
Y1 - 2016/6
N2 - In a criminal case involving cutting and resale of amphetamine and cocaine in the Copenhagen area of Denmark, maltitol was used as a cutting agent. The analysis of maltitol in seizures of pure diluents as well as in amphetamine and cocaine powders was carried out using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometric detection. Maltitol was identified in four out of nine amphetamine samples and in five out of six cocaine samples from the case in question. The use of maltitol as a cutting agent was considered by the police as a specific marker of the particular criminal group under investigation. To support or reject this hypothesis, cocaine and amphetamine samples from a four month period after the involved persons had been arrested were evaluated, also as part of the police investigation. None of these samples contained maltitol. The work described covers the part of the case involving the department of forensic chemistry, and not the whole police investigation, but everything was done within the frames given by the police. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a disaccharide polyol being used as a cutting agent for illicit drugs.
AB - In a criminal case involving cutting and resale of amphetamine and cocaine in the Copenhagen area of Denmark, maltitol was used as a cutting agent. The analysis of maltitol in seizures of pure diluents as well as in amphetamine and cocaine powders was carried out using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometric detection. Maltitol was identified in four out of nine amphetamine samples and in five out of six cocaine samples from the case in question. The use of maltitol as a cutting agent was considered by the police as a specific marker of the particular criminal group under investigation. To support or reject this hypothesis, cocaine and amphetamine samples from a four month period after the involved persons had been arrested were evaluated, also as part of the police investigation. None of these samples contained maltitol. The work described covers the part of the case involving the department of forensic chemistry, and not the whole police investigation, but everything was done within the frames given by the police. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a disaccharide polyol being used as a cutting agent for illicit drugs.
KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
KW - Cutting Agent
KW - Illicit drugs
KW - Mass Spectrometry
KW - maltitol
KW - Sugar Alcohol
KW - Polyols
U2 - 10.1515/sjfs-2016-0001
DO - 10.1515/sjfs-2016-0001
M3 - Journal article
VL - 22
SP - 6
EP - 10
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Forensic Science
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Forensic Science
SN - 1503-9552
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 172103208