Study Reveals Best DNA Recovery Spots on Drug Baggies
by James Mills
In a world of theoretical experiments, it’s rare to find one that’s directly applicable for law enforcement in the real world. This may just be one of those rarities.
A recent study from Flinders University appears to show investigators where to seek the best DNA samples from drug baggies. The experiment involved testing of capsule assembly, transference of capsules into a Ziplock bag (“ZLB”), and carrying of the bag.
Of these three activities, assembling capsules seems to provide the best sourcing of DNA samples. Capsules also provide good secondary samples – DNA materials transferred to another object or surface and then transferred to a third person, object, or surface. Exterior surfaces of the baggies tended to provide less informative samples, which are often mixed with DNA from other individuals. The act of transferring capsules into a ZLB yielded little to no testable DNA.
The study standardized the tested activity. It examined scenarios with three-person chains: (1) one packing and assembling capsules, (2) one packing the capsules into a ZLB, and (3) a third handling the ZLBs and giving them to the testers. Each chain was tested for five iterations (two ZLBs each), yielding 10 tested ZLBs per chain in the experiment. The primary conclusion was that the capsules and the inside of the ZLBs were much better places to find relevant DNA. Samples gleaned from the outside of the bag were diluted and muddled and generally not useable by testers.
The study’s authors concluded that “inside of the bags and exterior of capsules could be targeted to identify individuals involved in the early packaging stages of the illicit drug pathway while the outside provided more information on recent handling.”
According to the study’s lead author, Flinders Ph.D. candidate Madison Nolan, “those that make the capsules can leave enough DNA for a complete profile with as little as 30 seconds of contact.”
Source: forensicmag.com
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