Identification of an alcoholic beverage in which methamphetamine was dissolved.
A man was arrested for violating the Stimulant Control Law. Twelve small plastic containers each containing 1-3 ml of reddish purple alcoholic beverage in which methamphetamine had been dissolved, and a bottle of blueberry liquor of a similar colour, were found in his house. He admitted that the blueberry liquor belonged to him, but strongly insisted that he had been asked to keep the containers by another person and that he had no knowledge of their contents. The alcoholic beverage and the blueberry liquor were analyzed in order to test whether he had dissolved methamphetamine in the blueberry liquor. The aroma components found in the alcoholic beverage in each of the plastic containers were identical, but differed from those found in the blueberry liquor. Based on these results and further police investigations, the suspect's allegation was supported and he was not prosecuted.
Hida
Y
Y
Department of Forensic Medicine,Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Kudo
K
K
Ikeda
N
N