Before It Gets Packaged And Sent To The Lab

When Drug Enforcement investigators discover suspected narcotics in the course of a search, or acquire illegal substances via operations using confidential informants or undercover police, they can conduct a field test of the matter for initial identification. The assigned officer doesn’t do this by inhaling a big whiff from a plastic baggie containing dried plants or by sliding a fingertip doused in white dust across his tongue. He’s not supposed to do it like that, anyway. He’s expected to use an approved field test kit. One such sanctioned kit is produced by Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories, Inc.

Sirchie states their Narcotics Analysis Reagent Kit (NARK) makes the detection of suspect materials “as simple and effective as possible.” Basically anyone who can read and isn’t colorblind can use their kits wherever. By placing a sample into a chemical and watching the reaction, instant drug analysis. Since sheets of LSD seemingly aren’t being vended all over Charlottesville and the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force has a high tolerance for marijuana sales and use, my guess would be the most frequently employed NARK by JADE is the #4 COBALT THIOCYANATE REAGENT.

Purpose: To test for cocaine, procaine, tetracaine, methadone. Crack is a mixture of cocaine HCI and bicarbonate of soda.

Procedure:
1. Remove cap.
2. Deposit suspect material in tube.
3. Replace cap and tap firmly to ensure material falls to bottom.
4. Break ampoule in bottom of tube. Agitate. Observe color reaction.
5. Break ampoule in cap. Agitate vigorously.

Color Reaction: BRILLIANT BLUE flakes in first solution--indicates the presence of all above listed narcotics. BLUE flakes remaining in second--indicates cocaine; BLUE flakes completely dissolved in second--indicates procaine or tetracaine.