Forensic Analysis of Fatal Heroin Overdose in Pakistan: Examination of Seized Materials and Postmortem Blood Sample

Abstract

Introduction: The concentration of heroin in street drugs is highly uncertain. This uncertainty of drug purity is the major cause of overdose. If it is used with a combination of other drugs, it can be fatal. The route of administration and drug tolerance is also important in this prospect. Case presentation: This article represents a case study, in which the person was found dead in a hotel room. During the investigation by the Law Enforcement agencies, two pieces of forensic evidence, i.e., currency notes, cigarette butts and postmortem specimens were submitted to the author’s laboratory for investigation about the cause of death. The aliquot from pieces of evidence was analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), and FTIR. Discussion & conclusions: The GC-MS analysis showed a high concentration of heroin along with dextromethorphan and phenobarbital on currency notes, while analysis of cigarette butts showed the presence of phenobarbital mixed with cannabis constituents in Tobacco leaves. The purity of the heroin sample was found to be 65.5 %. Toxicological analysis of postmortem blood sample showed above the lethal levels of morphine (0.619 mg/L). Moreover, the synergistic effects of the other drugs may have caused the morbidity of the victim.

Keywords

• forensic chemistry
• diacetylmorphine
• synergistic effects of drugs
• illicit drugs