Contribution of isotopic analyses to the fight against drug trafficking

Contribution of isotopic analyses to the fight against drug trafficking The fight against drug trafficking is becoming one the first priorities of many governments. In order to struggle against this traffic, forensic chemists ought to increase the amount of information which can be used by the investigation departments. Thus, the ability of grouping seizures made at different times and locations is one of the most important information which can be ended up in a best knowledge of clandestine laboratories and distribution networks. A new promising method consists in isotopic ratios measurements. As shown in the present paper, the use of isotopic techniques for natural or synthetic illicit drugs brings very useful information, such as geographical origin or used synthetic pathways. The study of isotopic compositions may become one of the most important analyses for drugs, as it is the case for the authentication of many natural products (vanillin, wine...).