What do cops do with confiscated drugs

Generally it is done late in the night when people are not around. Smaller quantities of synthetic drugs are stored and once there is enough to incinerate, it is disposed of in a timely manner," the officer said.

Skip to main content. Wonder what happens to drugs seized by the police? TNM explains. Representation photo. Theja Ram Follow thejaram Rs Rs Rs Custom contribute. Have you ever wondered what law enforcement officers do with seized drugs?

If TV crime dramas and police procedurals are to be believed, law officers seem to spend a lot of time planning and executing drug busts. But what happens to the contraband they seize after it all goes down? It depends a lot on the amount and type of drugs, the circumstances surrounding the possession and seizure, and what state and federal laws govern the next steps. When drugs are confiscated , law enforcement stores them in a secure warehouse known as a crime laboratory.

Here, the drugs are tested, cataloged, organized, and shelved pending criminal trial. Where the drugs are stored can vary depending on which enforcement agency is investigating.

Small amounts of drugs may be stowed at the local police station. In contrast, larger amounts are often taken to a secure federal or state vault. Drug trafficking and manufacturing cases can be long, drawn-out processes as they move through the courts. Because of this, seized evidence can remain in storage for months or even years while the trial is ongoing. Seized drugs no longer needed as evidence as most often incinerated, but the business of destroying narcotics can be tricky: how do you destroy drugs without releasing their intoxicating or toxic effect?

This is why pharmacists ask you to return your unused drugs to be destroyed rather than throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. It can be a dilemma for officers who must either arrange for destruction or allow drug evidence to accumulate, which risks making the storage area a potential theft target, Latta said.

Other jurisdictions have more choices: State police in the Detroit area use a metal forging plant's high-temperature furnace, but smaller posts use burn barrels. Indiana State Police have similar options. Pennsylvania State Police handle drug destruction internally, such as with a small incinerator. New York State Police use an outside contractor they won't disclose. Drug destruction arrangements with steel facilities still work for some agencies, including Columbus, Ohio, police and the FBI's Cleveland division.

Cincinnati police are using that option for the first time this year because the university facility they used in the past stopped providing the service, department spokeswoman Sgt. Julian Johnson said. Especially when drug-destruction work is pro bono, police tend to be tight-lipped about details to protect security, the businesses involved and sometimes the arrangements themselves.

And then you've got to go find another one," said Sgt. Jeff Yaney, who oversees evidence for Dayton, Ohio, police. Yaney wouldn't divulge where the department destroys drugs.