Isotope Profiling of Drugs: A Tool to Disrupt Organised Crime, Detect Serious Crime and Reduce Volume Crime.

This research proposal addresses the needs identified by end-users within UK law enforcement agencies for forensic data to support intelligence lead policing as well as the demands placed on them to achieve secure convictions. Isotope profiling in particular has been identified by the Forensic Science Service as a potentially powerful tool to address the intelligence needs for intelligence lead policing.Clandestine synthesis and movement of drugs are a global problem run by many international criminal networks. Increasing drug linkage information will lead to an increase in objective scientific intelligence about international networks and improve opportunities to disrupt such networks.Of the illicit drugs, homemade and imported MDMA ('Ecstasy') is of particular concern to most law enforcement agencies in the UK. For example, the most recent NCIS Scottish Strategic Assessment has determined a significant increase in the threat to Scottish communities posed by organised crime.The situation is one of increased sophistication and globalisation, with longstanding and well-established links between organised crimein the UK, Europe, the former Soviet Bloc countries, Asia and South America.