Chapter 5: Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Based Approaches for the Analysis of Seized Drugs

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is a powerful analytical tool with an extensive range of applications in the analysis of seized substances. In this chapter, several such applications will be outlined and discussed, including the use of GC–MS to carry out drug identification within a forensic environment and its impact on the criminal justice system. Furthermore, a discussion on the challenges arising from the utilisation of this technique, and how forensic laboratories tackle these challenges, will be presented. Other operational difficulties encountered by forensic laboratories will also be critically appraised along with their impact on the criminal justice system.