Nov. 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 11

networks with corner

networks with corner boys in operation as they had a place to start and could piece together the setup through investigation, observation, and informants. With digital deals on social media apps, the network and the money trail are hard to trace without a wiretap warrant, and authorities first need evidence before they can obtain one. Even after an arrest, examining the apps and transactions on a suspect’s smartphone is almost impossible without the assistance of technically skilled personnel and advanced software tools. Even if these are available, cryptocurrency and encrypted communications make putting the pieces together a complex task. A glaring example of the growing opioid ‘side hustle’ occurred in 2023 with the arrest and prosecution of the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association on charges of illegally importing synthetic opioids into the United States. This individual first came to the attention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in 2019. PRESUMPTIVE ANALYSIS CHALLENGES Mixing small quantities of drugs in a cocktail makes it harder for officers to identify a suspicious substance when legally searching a premises, vehicle, or person. In the past, colorimetric tests were among the tools officers carried to presumptively identify substances such as heroin to effect an arrest, before sending the substance to state laboratories for more accurate testing. These tests are no longer sufficient because of the varied components included in polysubstances, which make it difficult to isolate a known narcotic. Additionally, the false positive rate of colorimetric tests makes relying on these solutions risky. Law enforcement, therefore, requires a better approach to detect small quantities of illicit drugs and differentiate between the various substances in polysubstance cocktails. One option is Raman Spectroscopy, which detects the interaction of a laser light with matter (the suspicious material), generating a unique chemical fingerprint to compare to a database of known substances. The Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs (SWGDRUG), responsible for supporting the development of recommended standards, techniques, protocols, and policies for the forensic examination of seized drugs, recognizes Raman Spectroscopy as one of the Class A analytical techniques for presumptive field testing. It has become one of the standard and most reliable methodologies for inspecting drugs and helping conduct probable cause searches and seizures. Due to the relative ease with which one can produce synthetic opioids, the ability to detect precursors is also critical in contributing to probable cause. However, while the essential precursors generally need to be imported from Mexico, China, or other countries, certain secondary precursors are legally available at local hardware stores. With the proper knowledge, secondary precursors can be used to produce essential precursors of acceptable quality, which end up in polysubstance cocktails. Consequently, homemade cocktails are more challenging to identify in the field as the chemical structures won’t match the exact structure expected by testing solutions. Raman Spectroscopy is a practical answer in this situation, as officers can obtain accurate readings from a wide variety of chemicals. Avoid accidental exposure and save lives Another benefit of Raman Spectroscopy is that it helps officers manage their personal risks while on duty by protecting them from accidental exposure, which is critical with more potent drugs in circulation. Using Raman Spectroscopy, officers can test suspicious substances in a clear bag without opening it and exposing themselves. Even material in colored bags can be tested, although opaque bags cannot. When officers can accurately identify harmful chemicals, they can also inform first responders about the potential risks they face when assisting people who may be injured or overdosing. Knowing what the person has taken helps first responders treat their patient effectively and can empower hospitals to administer life-saving medication as soon as they arrive instead of first waiting for a toxicology report. SYNTHETIC REVOLUTION IN THE SUBURBS As America enters the fourth wave of the overdose epidemic, law enforcement needs better tools to presumptively identify dangerous substances on the scene in real time. Officers need to know what they are dealing with immediately, 100 The Blues - November ‘24

empowering them to take the appropriate action. The fourth wave will not only impact the inner cities. It will hit inner cities hard, as did heroin and fentanyl, but the distributed nature of polysubstance abuse will make it easy and cheap to distribute and buy your drug cocktail of choice and have it delivered to your home in an hour or two. What exactly is in the substance delivered will only become apparent once the substance is used, which may be too late. If law enforcement is not adequately equipped and prepared with information and reliable presumptive analysis capabilities, the fourth wave of America’s overdose epidemic will rapidly expand. There won’t be a ‘safe’ class of people as the drug cartels and gangs look to increase addiction rates in all their customers and grow their businesses and profits. Law enforcement’s role as a protective barrier to even more deaths and the negative societal consequences of addiction is more critical than ever, and officers need the tools and political backing to support them in this goal. Michael Brown is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. He has a distinguished career spanning over 32 years as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Most recently he was the DEA Headquarters staff coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India. Prior to that he served as the country attaché in India and Myanmar providing foreign advisory support for counter narcotic enforcement. Contact him at michael.brown@rigaku.com The Blues - November ‘24 101