Statistical Assessment using Chemical Profiling of Ecstasy Samples Seized in Turkey

Abstract

The physical and chemical characteristics of ecstasy have been extensively investigated for many years, but establishing links between the seizures, determining their origin, and monitoring the abuse traffic of this drug through analytical and statistical methods have only recently become a research topic. In this study, the ecstasy samples seized by the Turkish National Police were analyzed to obtain their chemical characteristics. In the chemical profiling, 17 elements and main organic constituents such as MDMA and amphetamine were identified in 18 ecstasy samples. The chemical profiles of the seizures were also statistically assessed using hierarchical cluster, principal component and correlation analyses. The Ba, Cu, Co, Rb and Pb elements indicated that the seizures came from the same network, and therefore, these elements can be used to obtain the origin of the seizures and monitor the abuse traffic of ecstasy.