The Odisha Police have turned the heat on drug peddlers and smugglers by destroying 2,20,000 kg of marijuana and 78 kg of brown sugar over the past one year.
Law enforcement agencies put in strenuous efforts to destroy seized narcotics as the process involves a very complex legal procedure.
“The drive was taken up last year after a landmark judgement of the Orissa High Court on a petition filed by Special Task Force for directing the subordinate courts and issuing a standard operating procedure for early authentication of seized narcotics. The first such drug disposal or destruction took place on June 10, 2022,” said Jai Narayan Pankaj, head of STF.
“And within one year, Odisha Police have destroyed a record 220 tonnes (2,20,000 kg) of seized ganja [marijuana or cannabis] in 1,434 cases and more than 78 kg of brown sugar and heroin in 129 cases following very strict rules and regulations,” said Mr. Pankaj.
The disposal of seized drugs is a complex legal and administrative process that involves the judiciary, the police, the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), State departments of pollution, excise, and revenue, as well as Central government’s chief controllers, opium and alkaloid departments.
“Seized contrabands are disposed of as per sub-section (3) of section 52A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. For destruction of drugs, a committee is formed in each district under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police [SP]. The Excise Superintendent, one Deputy Collector and one Deputy SP are members of the Drug Disposal Committee. On receipt of chemical examination report from the State FSL, the investigation officer moves the concerned court for certification of correctness of inventory of seized contrabands,” the senior officer narrated.
“If the seized contraband is beyond a certain limit [more than 10 quintals], a drug disposal committee under the chairmanship of a Deputy Inspector-General of Police is formed for its destruction,” he said.
Odisha has seized 6,614 quintals of ganja and 176 kg of brown sugar and destroyed cannabis grown on 1,01,578 acres of land in the State since 2018.