DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF POISONS, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL Cases of suspected poisoning occasionally happen are to becarefully investigated. Symptoms very similar to those of certain diseases makes it difficult to decide whether a crime has been committed or not. Suicides and accidental poisoning are also often quite difficult to distinguish from homicide. This is more difficult in cases of domestic violence like dowry deaths, murder for love and murder for inheritance etc. There -are possibilities of accidental death due to professional/ occupational dangers, like handling pesticides, carelessness in handling toxic substance etc. which may not be covered in the ambit of crime. However, for the purpose of investigation, it will be safer to treat every case of suspected poisoning as homicides unless proved otherwise. If there is reason to suspect that poison was consumed accidentally a careful search may be made for the container. Container may also be searched for latent prints. It is also necessary to collect any other object suspected to be connected with poisoning like unwashed dishes, glasses, waste basket, medicine containers, left over food and drinks. In case police is called to a scene of poisoning before medical help could arrive, the first duty is to remove the patient to the nearest hospital and at the same time protect and isolate the scene and premises. In some cases compliant is made to the police only after the dead body has been cremated. Though it is not possible to conclusively prove that a person has died due to poisoning in all cases, the examination of ashes may prove the existence of certain poisons like arsenic oxide. Effort should be made to recover the clothes worn by the victim before death. It is safe also to suspect poisoning as the cause of death where a person dies suddenly without any apparent reason. If the post mortem Training Manual on Forensic Science for Police Officers 141 to unable to prove haemorrhage, heart attack or any such cause, the viscera should be forwarded to the laboratory for detection of poison. Drugs The term drug is used in police circles to denote habit forming, intoxicant drugs, whether made to be used as intoxicants like smack, heroin etc. or if legal medicines like morphine, Pethedine etc. are mis- used for such purposes. It is necessary for the I.Os to have basic knowledge
about the narcotic and psychotropic substances. Narcotic drugs means only those drugs or substances of addiction manufactured or prepared from any derivation of the opium plant and the leaves of coca plant. Psychotropic means any substance, natural or synthetic material included in the list of psychotropic substances specified in the schedule. There are a large number of drugs whose use is restricted by law from abuse but are used by persons seeking intoxication. Drug abuse and the Police The most important reason why police is interested in cases of drugs, narcotics and other addictive substances, is that the sale, possession and use of these substances are either prohibited or controlled and police is entrusted with the job of enforcing these laws. Another reason is the close relation between illicit drug use, smuggling and other crimes. To support drug smuggling, the criminal resorts to a variety of crimes ranging from bribing to killing and gangwars Those who are addicted to these also commit crimes to support this habit. In certain case, these drugs are prepared and carried in unhygenic conditions and may contain impurities and even poisonous substances. A survey of the drug available with retail sellers in the US indicated that a large percentage of these contained enough poisonous substance to kill a healthy person. It is common knowledge that smack sold in the street contain small quantities of poisons like arsenic oxide ( rat poison). There is always a danger of unintentional death taking Bureau of Police Research & Development 142 place as a result of use of impure drugs. The investigator is bound to be led away in the wrong track if he is unable to unearth the source of poison. Over a period of time the addict starts increasing his dose, at times lethal doses are taken resulting in death. As a result of the above two reasons, a death which may look like murder may turn out to be overdose of drug. Similarly a murder can be made to look like an overdose of drugs. The most commonly abused / used drugs are given below: Opium and its derivatives Opium is derived from the plant, Papaver somniferum especially from the pods containing seeds (Photo-66). The husk of the pods are also used by addicts, in boiled water, in tea, or eaten as such. Apart from eating opium as such there are people who smoke it.
Heroin is a crude crystalline powder derived from opium. Smack is another derivative from heroin. Both these can be either injected, smoked or snuffed. However, the evidences of the use of these substances are usually, apparatus for injection or metallic caps for dissolving it in the water by heating, repeated puncture marks on the forearm of the victim. It is important to collect the whole paraphernalia and the drug, seal if properly and send samples to the laboratory for identification. Cocaine It is produced from coca leaves and in appearance is very similar to heroin. It is also injected or snuffed.
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Photo-66 Poppy Plant (Papaver somniferum)
Ganja and its Derivatives The derivatives of Indian hemp ( Photo-67) include Bhang, which are dried leaves, and Gaanja, flower of the plant Charas/ hashish is the dried sap of the plant Gaanja is smoked, bhang is eaten Hashish is either eaten or smoked The physical appearance of the plant and the
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Photo-67:
Indian
Hemp
Plant
(
Cannabis
sativa)
leaves are characteristic and so is the odour of burning charas or ganja. Barbiturates Barbiturates are medicines prescribed usually by doctors for sedative and for inducing sleep, but are often misused for intoxication. They may also be taken along amphetamines. Since most of these drugs are legally manufactured by registered laboratories, labels, wrappers, bottles etc. in which these are kept can help in identifying them. Mere presence of these do not automatically suggest addiction. However, large quantities of these should arouse suspicion. These group of medicines are quite often used by people to commit suicide.
Taking liquor alongwith overdose to these medicines may also result in death. Training Manual on Forensic Science for Police Officers 145 Amphetamine While barbiturates are sleep inducing medicines or downers, amphetamines are uppers or stimulants usually prescribed by doctors and mis-used by addicts. Mathamphetamines (speed) are related drugs whose action on central nervous system is stronger and hence more popularly mis-used. Here also like barbiturates the huge quantity of medicines and lack of proper prescription, receipt etc.. should be indications of mis- use. Hallucinogenic Drugs These include a large number of legal and illegal drugs like LSD, PCP, MDA, mandrex etc While the legally manufactured ones can identified by the containers, foils, labels etc. the illegal drugs are most difficult to identify. For example, LSD being colourless and odourless liquid, can be soaked in sugar cubes, chocolates, chewing gums, biscuits etc. They are either eaten or injected. They are very potent drugs which can create hallucination and under its effect people are known to commit various dangerous acts, become violent or commit suicide. Crime can also be committed under its influence. While it is not possible to mention the detailed precautions and procedure for handling all types of drugs which the 1.0. may come across, some general principles are given below : 1. It is better to leave the task of identification of the drug to the specialist. Whenever, there is doubt, mention only the physical appearance of the drug. 2. Sufficient quantity of the material should be sent to the Laboratory for identification. 3. Never taste any material suspected to be drug. 4. Never smell any material suspected to be drug. Bureau of Police Research & Development 146 5. It is not even safe to handle with naked hands, any material suspected to be hallucinogens. In any case avoid handling all drugs
unless it is absolutely necessary. Wash hands immediately after handling. 6. Remember that some of the substances which are drugs or those used in the manufacture of drugs are highly inflammable and corrosive and can explode also. Care should be taken in handling handling these substances. 7. Care should be taken to avoid cuts and other injuries to skin during search and arrest as highly contaminated needles, syringes etc. can infect the 1.0 8. Even small fragments of leaves, seeds, bark etc. of poisons can be identified and hence care should be taken to collect the samples. Illicit Liquor and Distillations Increased control on manufacture and sale of liquor (like prohibition), dry days and high rate of taxation leads to illicit distillation and sale of Hooch (methyl alcohol). Apart from creating a parallel black money economy which finance all sorts of nefarious activities, bootlegging may also hazardous to human life. Hooch tragedies and death from poisonous liquor consumption is a very serious scandal attracting the public attention. Two main types of problems are usually encountered, illicit distillation through clandestine sources and adulterated and spurious liquor as pure stuff. Illicit distillation is done by fomenting a mixture of carbohydrates, sugar, gur,molasses and other ingredients using kikkar bark and then distilling it in improvised stills. Improvised stills can be wide drum and earthen ware pot or sophisticated stills. The distillation liquid is called 'Lahn' and can be easily recognised by the characteristic smell. Drums continuing 'Lahn' usually are buried Training Manual on Forensic Science for Police Officers 147 underground in winter and kept in isolated rooms in summer. Evidence of the still having worked like ' chuhlas' in places other than kitchen, big sized chuhlas for a small place, parts of dismantled still including the pot kept on top with drip mark, split lahn, large number of empty bottles, bladder etc. in which liquor is collected and transferred are important physical evidence to be collected from the spot. At least 250 ml of the liquor sample should be collected and sent for chemical examination.
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