Policie České republiky – Kriminalistický ústav
4
Léky, lihoviny, anabolika, ...
DRUGS, SPIRITS, ANABOLICS, ...
1. Sample preparation
The forensic chemical laboratory in the Institute of Criminalistics has been receiving more and more counterfeits of human medicines in recent years. These medicines usually do not contain the active substance declared by the producer but they contain a different active substance or no active substance at all. In some of the counterfeits, substances harmful to humans were found. That is why purchasing human medicines on-line, where customers are lured by the often-very-low price compared to a standard seller, can become very dangerous.
The chemical laboratory is equipped with the up-to-date equipment. The experts carry out analysis of organic substances, including trace analysis. Mainly, they apply separation methods, especially chromatographic ones, which allow dissolution of complex compounds and the subsequent identification of the individual substances using mass spectrometry. The infrared spectroscopy method is used as well.
The CHEMIS database (Chemical Medicines and Drugs Database), which is used to carry out fast identification of unknown samples, represents a valuable aid for the examination.
2. Samples in chromatograph
3. Counterfeits examined
The most commonly examined counterfeits include:
- erection enhancing drugs (e.g. Viagra),
- weight loss drugs (e.g. Adipex),
- flu medicines (e.g. Cirrus),
- dietary supplements,
- illegal anabolic steroids (these often contain an active substance different from that declared on the packaging).
4. VIAGRA - counterfeit
Counterfeit human medicines containing specific phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors such as tadalafil, sildenafil and vardenafil - VIAGRA®, LEVITRA®, VIVANZA®, CIALIS®, most often contain a different active substance. The tablets are of a different shape and embossing. There have also appeared preparations declared as purely natural dietary supplements, but they contained large amounts of sildenafil, which is the active substance of Viagra.
Counterfeit spirits - killer methanol
Experts in the Institute of Criminalistics examined samples taken from spirits seized during the methanol scandal that claimed nearly 50 lives in the Czech Republic in 2012. For field analysis a Raman spectrometer, which can detect methanol in a bottle without the necessity to damage packaging, was used. This mobile instrument is also used to analyse organic and inorganic substances (conventional and synthetic drugs).
5. Raman spectrometer