Illicit drug profiling: the Australian experience – revisited

In Australia drug profiling had its formal beginnings during the early 2000s. Initially, this involved the development of a heroin signature program by the Australian Federal Police and the National Measurement Institute, which was then expanded to include cocaine, and by 2007 both programs had reached a mature state. From then, the focus switched to high volume synthetic drugs such as methylamphetamine. This paper describes the expansion of the Australian Illicit Drug Intelligence Program (AIDIP) to include a range of chemical signatures aimed at investigating the clandestine manufacturing methods and precursor chemicals used for synthetic drugs such as methylamphetamine. It also describes the commencement of the Enhanced National Intelligence Picture Illicit Drugs (ENIPID), which was designed to monitor domestic drug seizures in the Australian States and Territories with the goal of establishing links to drug trafficking into Australia. Examples of links between domestic, Border and international seizures are explored. Finally, the changing nature of drug trafficking into Australia during the last decade is considered in the context of how forensic chemistry laboratories need to be adaptable and willing to evolve as the threat from illicit drugs evolves.