The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has introduced a regulation to lessen drug confinement periods as it prepares to burn 13 tonnes of seized narcotics on Aug 30.
ONCB secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhon yesterday presided over a press briefing at the Narcotic Analysis and Technical Service Institute on the procedure for destroying seized narcotics under the Narcotics Bill.
He said the ONCB transferred 4.5-tonnes of narcotics seized from 38 drug cases to the Public Health Ministry's narcotics warehouse yesterday to be destroyed.
Mr Wichai said the narcotics will be sent to the Public Health Ministry's warehouse after they are examined and recorded by the police and the Narcotic Analysis and Technical Service Institute.
A court order was previously required to burn the seized drugs, while the Public Health Ministry in the past also had to store the seized narcotics until legal cases in which the drugs were seized are settled.
In some cases, suspects fled arrest warrants and officials had to suspend disposal of the seized property until the statute of limitations expires which can often take 10 to 30 years, said Mr Wichai. However, the revised ONCB regulations on the seizure, examination, storage and destruction of narcotics allows officials to destroy the seized property without a specific court order.
After sending the narcotics to the Public Health Ministry's warehouse, they can be destroyed immediately after being recorded by officials. Only two weeks of storage is now needed before the drugs can be destroyed, added Mr Wichai.
He also said ONCB will transfer 13 tonnes of narcotics seized from 100 drug cases to the warehouse tomorrow. They will be burned on Aug 30 and 31 at a facility in Samut Prakan. The batch consists of 5.4 tonnes of methamphetamine, as well as heroin, ketamine, opium, ecstasy and other substances.