Mumba: The airport special cargo unit of the Mumbai customs department on Wednesday destroyed 16.8kg of contraband including Marijuana, Ketamine and Khat leaves, amounting to Rs2.85 crore. The drugs that were seized in seven different cases by the agency were destroyed by incineration at the Mumbai Waste Management Ltd facility at Taloja, which has been authorised by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). This year, over 2,800kg of contraband has been destroyed by the customs department, statistics revealed.
According to customs officials, the contraband destroyed included 10.025kg of marijuana (valued at Rs2.06 crore), 3.871kg ketamine (worth Rs38.80 lakh) and 3.137kg khat leaves (worth Rs40 lakh). Khat leaves and tops are chewed or, less frequently, dried and consumed as a tea to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. Khat leaves were banned on Feb 27, 2018, and brought under the ambit of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“After drugs are seized, they are kept in government warehouses. As per the disposal process defined in the NDPS Act, we take along independent panch witnesses under police escort to the incineration facility. After securing permission from the MPCB, the drugs are destroyed in the incinerator and the destruction process does not cause any pollution,” said a customs official.
The official added that the Government of India has issued directives for speedy disposal of the seized drugs to avoid instances of pilferage, theft and loss. “Recently, there was an incident in Uttar Pradesh wherein 500kg of the seized marijuana was consumed by rats. Such things should not happen and hence speedy disposal is required,” said the official.
Destroyed In 2022 Quantity (Approx)
Heroin 315.6kg
Cocaine 11.4kg
Ketamine 303.4kg
Cigarette sticks 19tonne
Methamphetamine 1,064kg
Mephedrone 288kg
Ephedrine 483kg
Mandrax 204kg
Hashish / Marijuana 54kg
Khat leaves 3.1kg
