Theft of court productions in drug cases to be tackled by incinerating them, while keeping only a sample

By Saman Indrajith

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament yesterday that an incinerator set up in Wanathawilluwa at a cost of Rs 18 million to destroy narcotic drugs would be operational from next month.

Presenting regulations under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance for approval in Parliament, the minister said that storing and protecting narcotic substances produced before courts until the case proceedings are over had been a problem. “It is not an easy task to protect large amounts of narcotics. As we know there are many Justice Ministry employees now in prisons for stealing these court productions and selling them in the market again. As such we have amended the law enabling only a sample to be kept for judicial purposes and to destroy the rest,” Minister Rajapakshe said.

“An incinerator was set up at a land belonging to Wanathwilluwa police and arrangements have been made to incinerate 300 kilos of heroin produced before courts on the first day of the operation.”

The Minister said this when the regulations under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance were taken up for approval in Parliament.

He said under the new regulations, the magistrate can order the seized drugs to be destroyed after obtaining a sample of the stock and other required evidence before concluding the case.

There had been environmental and safety issues because the drugs are to be incinerated at a temperature between 800 Celsius and 1,100 Celsius. These problems have been addressed. “The drugs will be destroyed under a proper procedure with the participation of the magistrate, the police, the Attorney General’s Department and the Government Analyst’s Department,” he said.

He said after the opening of the incinerator, steps would be taken to destroy the seized drugs once a month.