Clandestine chemist

For the terrorist, TATP and HMTD offer easy sources of primary explosives. Consulting the do-it-yourself literature, it can be seen that there are two other commonly recommended primary explosives—lead azide Pb(N3)2 and mercury fulminate Hg(ONC)2, but these are difficult to prepare cleanly. The synthesis of diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) (Fig. 2.5), common in commercial detonators, is reported in such publications, but apparently is rarely attempted by clandestine chemists. Typically, the brisance of a primary is less than TNT, but the efficacy is the fact that a shock wave can result from a relatively mild insult. 

During clandestine laboratory investigation the forensic chemist may be asked to illustrate the synthetic route used by the defendants). For this reason, the forensic chemist should have a clear understanding of the synthetic routes available to the clandestine chemist. Cooper 1984... 

The Operation Julie cooker had made the obvious analogy that if the procedure works for these substances closely related to LSD, it should also work for LSD. This type of underground research and discovery is not at aU unusual. If you look through the Chem. Abstracts for references to the use of hydriodic acid and red phosphorus in the reduction of ephedrine to meth, you will find nothing. This procedure is a general method of reducing alcohols to alkanes, and was apphed by clandestine chemists to ephedrine with excellent results. Ditto for the lithium-metal-in-liquid-ammonia reduction of ephedrine to meth. 

Raney nickel isn t convenient or even practical for most clandestine chemists to use. The shaking and heated hydrogenation device is a big home construction project and Raney nickel isn t easily made or purchased. 

The production of the nitro alkene at this point offers the chance for the clandestine chemist to produce the phenylacetone. The recrystallization could be skipped, and instead the crude nitro alkene could be placed into a flask along with some hydrochloric acid and iron filings and boiled to give the phenylacetone in high yield. Complete directions can be found in chapter nine of my book Secrets of Methamphetamine manufacture. 

Two common solvents used in clandestine drug laboratories are diethyl ether and acetone. Being less than vigilant in laboratory and safety practices, clandestine chemists often work with leaky equipment. If a person were brought to the emergency room under suspicious circumstances, where would you predict the bum patterns on the person s body to be most pronounced if he or she was ir red by a fire or explosion at a clandestine laboratory ... 

Hydriodic acid is currently listed as a Federal DBA List I Chemical. Owing to its usefulness as a reducing agent, reduction with HI and red phosphorus has become the most popular method to produce methamphetamine in the United States. Clandestine chemists react pseudoephedrine (recovered from decongestant pills) with hydroiodic acid and red phosphorus under heat, HI reacts with pseudoephedrine to form iodoephedrine, an intermediate which is reduced primarily to methamphetamine. 

Because of its listed status and closely monitored sales, clandestine chemists now use red phosphorus and iodine to generate hydroiodic acid in situ. 

A chemist from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, who was in Bolivia to observe clandestine cocaine operations, related the following step-by-step procedure for manufacturing cocaine. The method can be conveniently divided into three major steps (1) extraction of cocaine from the leaf and chemical conversion to the sulfate (2) treatment of cocaine sulfate with potassium permanganate and conversion to the free base (aka paste) and (3) conversion of the paste or free base to cocaine hydrochloride. In general, steps (1) and (2) are carried out in sulfate labs while step (3) is performed in crystal labs. 

In the past year, our forensic chemists participated with special agents in the seizure of over 30 domestic clandestine laboratories which were producing LSD, phencyclidine (PCP), dimethyl trypta-mine (DMT), methamphetamine, and liquid hashish. DEA chemists have also examined illegal laboratories in Europe, South America, and the Far East. These laboratories were producing heroin or cocaine. 

Professor Sabyasachi Sarkar (bom in 17 May 1947) is an Indian Chemist. He has explored chemistry passionately as a prospector to observe closely the clandestine activities of nature. He has worked and continued working in the diverse branches of chemistry closely related to natural set up and as such his research embraces functional models related to hyperthermophilic to mesophilic metalloproteins enriching bioinorganic chemistry. A Rephca of a Fishy Enzyme and the reduced xanthine oxidase also have been made. Inhibition patterns in the Michaelis complex of low molecular weight hepatic sulfite oxidase model complex have been exhibited. He demonstrated that carbon dioxide molecule does bind... 

Fentanyl was first abused by medical professionals who were able to obtain the legally produced opioid from drug companies. Today, it is a designer drug that black market chemists in clandestine laboratories with high levels of expertise and equipment manufacture in home labs. As a street drug, it can be several hundred to three thousand times more potent than morphine. Sometimes it is sold as heroin to unsuspecting users. 

That extra washing is then combined with the other filtrate. The most action this procedure is going to see in a clandestine chemistry lab is at the very end of the drug-making process where the chemist will have crystallized her freebase oil into a final, marketable form and then needs to separate those crystals from the solvent they are in. [Fig 8]... 

The other questions that may arise deal with the method of synthesis. If the sample was part of a clandestine laboratory seizure, this type of question should be anticipated. However, if the sample is not directly obtained from such a facility, the method of synthesis may not be a relevant issue. Whether it is is for the courts and investigators to decide. If it is not clear what method was used, or if profiling is not requested or conducted, a forensic chemist should answer such questions accordingly. 

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