Drug info - drug dogs and ghb

[joevette]

Can drug dogs detect GHB?

[MrG]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...es/3240109.stm

States they can be trained for GHB detection but I have severe doubts about the validity of that claim. GHB is odourless.

[trptamene]

Originally Posted by MrG

GHB is odourless.

hmmm...not sure how odourless is defined but guessing meaning not detectable by human?

odor is a manifestation of vapor pressure and these vapor phase molecules binding to olfactory receptors. I would not be surprised if canines had the olfactory machinery to detect this molecule.

[MrG]

Ok professor, I accept the facts as stated in that even water would have an odour, but in practical terms, with GHB usually being carried as a liquid in a sealed bottle plus surrounding background odours, I would be incredibly surprised if anyone could prove it as workable in a situation such as an airport or nightclub.

[trptamene]

I was thinking in regards to drug trafficing. Don't know much about ghb but was imagining packages of sealed powder.

[blackwolf]

Swim of a swim happend to get busted for polydrug possesion at a bordercheck point. He actually never crossed a border, but was on a highway that was within 50 miles of the border, and a check point came up. Dog alerted to drugs, swim gave up some herb and a pipe, they went thru the camper athey found a sealed bottle back there with some E, K, acid, and RC's( small amounts of all). They took the dog inside the car and inside the camper and procedded with the arrest. Thing is, there was over a liter of ghb mixed to a ratio of 1ml -> 500mg In a water bottle sitting on the seat in the camper The dog didnt find it, he even walked right over it, never sniffed it out, and thanks god, because that G saved swim of a swims life after he had been P.R.ed ( anxiety for months). That and swim of a swim would have done hard time because of it most likly.

So basicly, yea, a dog might be able to be traid to smell it, but they most likly are not. In swim of a swims exp, they were not.

[~lostgurl~]

If the bottle is labeled something chemical eg nail polish remover, it would smell almost identical to GBL from what I have read as it is an industrial solvent.

[Pino]

GHB can always contain a small amount of GBL. GBL has a smell, so I think they would train it to trigger on GBL.

[malsat]

Best not underestimate the capabilities of scenting dogs, they can identify cancer in some patients through urine for instance. If trained to detect GBL no doubt they'd be able to detect the minute amount present in any instance wherein GHB is dissolved in water.

Luckily G is conveniently rare so one wouldn't expect many (if any) dogs to actually be trained to pick it up.