Conclusion

Several samples of narcotics were analyzed to demonstrate the efficiency and speed of the Raman technique. In just a few seconds, the spectra of the various components of illicit products are obtained and, when they belong to a spectral database, they are precisely identified. The samples of beige crystals we examined contained MDMA and proved to be homogeneous on a microscopic scale. Nevertheless, they need to be analyzed with high spectral resolution to separate certain closely-spaced Raman peaks. The coating on the yellow C20 tablet contains titanium oxide in anatase form. The other components of this tablet could not be identified as they are not currently available in research libraries. The pink tablet with the "Yin and Yang" logo is heterogeneous at the micron scale, and its various constituents have been identified. They include cellulose, red pigments and MDMA. The measurements...