The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police said it had destroyed a record 220 tonnes (220,000 kg) of seized ganja in 1,434 cases over the previous year, along with more than 78 kg of brown sugar and heroin in 129 cases.[1][2]
A year of certified disposal
STF chief Jayanarayan Pankaj described the year as one of the most successful of the pre-trial seizure destruction drive, carried out under strict rules with the judiciary, forensic laboratory, pollution, excise and revenue authorities.[1] The drive began after a 31 January 2022 Orissa High Court judgement on an STF petition, which directed subordinate courts to certify seized narcotics early under a standard procedure.[1][2]
How the seizures were cleared
After the state forensic laboratory reports on a seizure, the investigating officer moves the court to certify the inventory, and a judicial magistrate confirms it before a district drug-disposal committee destroys the drugs under section 52A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.[1] The first such disposal took place on 10 June 2022, and the 220 tonnes announced on 10 June 2023 covered the year since then.[1][2]