Applying a COVID-19 Sample-pooling Technique to Forensics Identification of Illicit Drugs

This paper presents a method for materially speeding up the identification process of suspect illicit drugs by pooling samples that require GC-MS analysis. This method can be applied to samples seized from a single suspect that are similar in appearance and therefore meet the Israeli Dangerous Drug Ordinance requirements for sampling. A complementary test (GC, TLC, or FTIR) conducted separately on each of the sampled units can prove conclusively that all units contain the same drug. This study shows that even with large differences in relative weight of mixes in a pool, each drug is easily identifiable by GC-MS and dominant peaks do not overshadow minority substances. By using this method, a narcotics lab can improve its throughput of expert opinions in narcotics cases, and at the same time save resources, extend instrument life, and be more environment-friendly