[ozer]

I urgently need help on a topic of discussion with a close friend, who feels he has been set up by the CPS concerning some residue of a controlled drug.

The CPS are claiming that very small traces of narcotine, monactylmorphine and morphine were found on a surface, and because:

1. monactylmorphine is a breakdown product of diamorphine (heroin),

2. It in turn breaks down into morphine,

3. monactylmorphine is commonly seen along with narcotine in illicit drugs,

4. Diamorphine residue would break down (by itself) into monactylmorphine and morphine, over a period of 10 years or more,

it is a proof that the traces found were once diamorphine (heroin).

What's not clear above is:

a) Would diamorphine really break up over a period of 10 years or more into the chemical residues mentioned above, at its own accord?

b) Are there any other products/substances besides heroin that can leave such a residue over time? (I found out narcotine is sold and used legally in medication)

c) what other prescribed products may contain monactylmorphine - especially in powder form if there are any, as an alternative to heroin being its source?

c) Would narcotine break up into monactylmorphine and morphine over a long period of time?

d) Is there any official research into breaking up of chemicals like heroin over a time period, or a list of such chemicals with their expected life spans? If so where can I get the information from, online?

Any help on the above would be very much appreciated – thanks!

[Dude]

A lot of stuff there.  I would look for the simplest out instead of technically challenging the argument.  I would claim that you placed some money on whatever surface was checked.  There are all kinds of studies that have detected trace amounts of drugs and degradation products of drugs on currency (escpecially bills).  Then it becomes a game of proving that drug residues are not on money (not winnable if that is really the only evidence against your friend).  What is the CPS anyway?

[ozer]

OK thanks! CPS stands for Crown Prosecution Service (UK).

I have an easier question. Is it possible to rinse the same area of say an adhesive surface using chemicals twice?

In this case, the firest time it was rinsed, they discovered traces of cocaine and no heroin, The second time they rinse the same area (1 year later) and discover narcotine, morphine etc.

How's that possible?

[Sam (NG)]

Heroin is diacetylmorphine, and the breakdown product 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) is obviously closely related.  A quick search reveals that 6-MAM is a unique breakdown product of diacetylmorphine present in urine.  I'm not sure though about the breakdown of heroin over time without the action of the human body.