By Biswanath Dash
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa High Court has appreciated the seized drug disposal/destruction drive of Odisha Police led by STF. The drive was started last year in June 2022. And within a short span of time Odisha Police has disposed of/ destroyed around 170 Tons ( 1,70,000 Kg) of seized Ganja/ marijuana/ cannabis and more than 62 Kg of brown sugar/ Heroin. This is the second time that High Court has appreciated the drug disposal drive. Earlier last year in December 2022, Odisha Police had received the appreciation,” STF said.
This is worth to mention that disposal/destruction of seized drugs is a complex legal and administrative process involving judiciary, police, forensic science laboratory, pollution, excise, revenue and central Government’s Chief controllers, govt. opium & Alkaloid departments.
Some of the major procedure/steps are narrated below-
Seized contrabands are being disposed of as per the sub section (3) of section 52A of the NDPS Act 1985.
For destruction of drugs, a committee is being formed in each district/establishment under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police. The Excise Superintendent and one Deputy Collector nominated by the Collector and one Deputy Superintendent of Police shall remain as members of the Drug Disposal Committee of each district.
On receipt of chemical examination report from the SFSL/RFSL, the IO moves to the concerned court (trial court) for certification of correctness of inventory of seized contrabands.
On receipt of application the concerned court will ask a magistrate under his jurisdiction to make certification of correctness of the inventory of the seized contrabands.
After certification concerned courts will pass necessary orders for disposal of drugs and handover the seized contraband to the applicant (IO).
On receipt of seized contrabands from the court the IO/ the IC of the PS shall move the chairman of Drug Disposal Committee for disposal of the seized contrabands.
If the quantity of the seized contrabands is within limit (1 quintal of Ganja and 5 kgs of Brown sugar), the committee shall take following actions for the disposal of the seized contrabands.
If the seized contrabands are beyond the limit, the chairman of District Drug Disposal Committee shall move to the ADGP, Crime Branch to form a high-level Drug Disposal Committee under the chairmanship of DIG for destruction of higher quantity.
The District Drug Disposal Committee/ High Level Drug Disposal Committee will move to the chief controllers, govt. opium and Alkaloid, New Delhi to seek whether any quantity of seized contrabands is required for them.
On receipt of clearance from CCF, govt. opium and Alkaloid, the Drug Disposal Committee/ High Level Drug Disposal Committee shall ascertain the place of disposal as per the guideline provided by State Pollution Control Board.
Thereafter it will fix a date for the disposal of seized contrabands and intimate the proposed date of disposal to the ADGP, Crime Branch.
The DDC/HLDDC shall move the Director SFSL to depute a scientific officer having technical knowledge of NDPS for the purpose of Drug Disposal.
As per the date fixed, the DDC/HLDDC will move to the place of disposal (incinerator) for disposal of the seized contrabands and shall destroy the seized contrabands in the incinerator.
After destruction of the seized contrabands, the DDC/HLDDC will prepare a destruction certificate as per the guidelines.
After destruction is over the chairman of DDC/HLDDC shall inform in detail to the ADGP, Crime Branch and send a copy of destruction certificate to the concerned trial court under a forwarding report and round off the pendency from the godown / malkhana.
