Volume 15, Issue 60, 2026
Research Article
GC–MS Identification of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Seized Drug Formulations: A Multidisciplinary Forensic Investigation
Bhvimane Sanna Jilani
Keywords: Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS); Forensic Toxicology; Forensic Chemistry; Pharmaceutical Identification; Flunarizine; Tromethamine and Ketorolac methyl ester; Sertraline; Medico-Legal Investigation; Physical Assault; Analytical Toxicology; Criminal Investigation
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs282057071
Abstract
Forensic science integrates analytical chemistry, toxicology, and forensic medicine to generate objective scientific evidence for criminal investigations. The identification of pharmaceutical substances recovered during investigations is particularly important in medico-legal cases involving alleged illegal confinement, physical assault, coercion, or suspected drug administration. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) is a widely established analytical technique for identifying volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds by combining efficient chromatographic separation with mass spectral characterization. Its sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and compatibility with spectral databases, particularly the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Mass Spectral Library, make it valuable for forensic drug analysis. The present study demonstrates the application of GC–MS for the qualitative identification of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in seized therapeutic drug formulations recovered during the investigation of an alleged case involving prolonged illegal confinement and repeated physical assault. The analytical findings provide objective evidence regarding the chemical composition of the seized exhibits. Although chemical identification alone cannot establish drug misuse or criminal intent, its correlation with medico-legal findings and other corroborative evidence can strengthen forensic interpretation. The study focuses exclusively on qualitative API identification, without quantitative estimation or dosage verification.
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How to cite this article: Bhvimane Sanna Jilani. GC–MS Identification of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Seized Drug Formulations: A Multidisciplinary Forensic Investigation. Chem Sci Rev Lett 2026; 15(60).
Licence: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.