Characterization and profiling of methamphetamine seizures

Abstract

Methamphetamine (MA) is the most common drug of abuse in Japan. MA is produced by chemical synthesis and final products of the drug contain small amounts of precursor chemicals, intermediates and by-products. Chirality is a principal characteristic of MA for evaluating the precursor chemicals. Adulterants such as dimethyl sulfone might be associated closely with trafficking routes of illicit drugs. Drug profiling is a scientific tool to identify the synthesis route, the sources of supply, trafficking routes and connections between seizures, which supports drug law enforcement agencies in their effort to eliminate organized drug crime. This review summarizes methods for characterization and profiling of MA hydrochloride, mainly based on our findings.