Drug Analysis

The majority of the work undertaken in the drugs section is at the request of An Garda Síochána, however we also receive submissions from Customs and Revenue, and the Coroners court. Our analysis involves mainly the identification of unknown powders, tablets, liquids, and plant materials.

Analytical and scientific staff work in tandem to achieve the optimum workflow for the Drugs Team.

Many of the drugs detected are commonly known street drugs such as:

• Diamorphine
• Cocaine
• MDMA
• Cannabis and Cannabis Resin
• Benzodiazepines

These make up the bulk of the Drugs sections routine analysis, however new Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) are encountered at increasing rates over the past number of years.

These NPSs allow for new challenges within the Drugs section and offer opportunities for research into new areas such as synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids.

The Drugs team has affiliates throughout Europe dealing with European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI), European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). These connections allow us to keep ahead of research and newer technologies to aid in the analysis and identification of these substances.