ANCHORAGE – The state crime lab is under investigation after an alarming find.
Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory said staff discovered “irregularities” in six controlled substance samples.
The samples are used as reference standards when testing illegal drugs. The six drugs include morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, opium, codeine and amphetamine. In a written statement, DPS said the discovery was made when new, more sensitive testing instruments were used in the lab.
Investigators couldn’t comment further on the irregularities, and said only that “foreign matter” was detected.
“The investigation is looking into how, when, why and — potentially — who could have caused this to have occurred,” said John Skidmore, director of the Criminal Division of the Department of Law.
Skidmore said the irregularities found do not impact the crime lab’s ability to identify submitted suspected controlled substances or the validity of past lab tests.
In addition to an audit, both Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Bureau of Investigation are conducting a criminal investigation.
So far there have been no arrests.