In first national drugs map, a big haul and a glaring gap

Read: Drugs seized, not destroyed

However, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were among the states that were not able to burn even five per cent of the drugs confiscated.

Other states such as Odisha, Bihar, Goa and Manipur have not destroyed any contraband seized over the last decade while Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat had also destroyed less than five per cent of drugs confiscated.

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The statistics, which do not include sedative tablets, syrup, vials and injections, were filed in Supreme Court last week by senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, who was appointed as the amicus curiae in a drug-related case in 2012 by a bench led by Justice T S Thakur.

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In July 2012, the bench was hearing an appeal by the Central government against the acquittal of an accused in the case because the prosecution could not produce the opium seized from him or show that the contraband was destroyed by a judicial order.

Saying that states had been breaching the guidelines of the Union Finance Ministry for destruction of drugs, the court had underlined the possibility of pilferage of the contraband and its return to the market for re-circulation.

It had said: “There cannot be anything worse than the society suffering on account of the greed or negligence of those who are entrusted with the duty of protecting it against the menace that is capable of eating into its vitals. Studies show that a large section of the youth are already victims of drug abuse and are suffering its pernicious effects.”