Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has destroyed a record 220 tons (2,20,000 kg) of seized ganja (marijuana/cannabis) in 1,434 cases and more than 78 kg of brown sugar/ heroin in 129 cases following strict rules and regulations during one year.
The STF of Odisha police Friday described the year as one of the successful years of destruction drive of pre-trial seized narcotics drugs.
The drive was started last year after a landmark judgement of the Odisha High Court on a petition filed by STF Odisha for directing the subordinate courts and issuing an SOP for early certification/ authentication of seized narcotics drugs. The judgement was passed January 31, 2022.
The first such drug disposal/ destruction took place June 10, 2022, and within one year Odisha Police destroyed a record 220 Tons of seized ganja and more than 78 kg of brown sugar.
STF source said the disposal/destruction of seized drugs is a complex legal and administrative process involving the judiciary, police, forensic science laboratory, pollution, excise, revenue and central Government’s Chief controllers.
The seized contrabands are being disposed of as per sub-section (3) of section 52A of the NDPS Act 1985.
A committee is formed in each district/establishment under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police for the destruction of drugs in which the Excise Superintendent, one Deputy Collector and one Deputy Superintendent of Police are members of the Drug Disposal Committee.
On receipt of the chemical examination report from the SFSL/RFSL, the IO moves to the concerned court for certification of the correctness of the inventory of seized contrabands and the seized drugs were destroyed following all prescribed guidelines.
UNI