29 kg of seized narcotics ‘evaporated’, claims Gujarat’s Surendrangar police

Even as police and the Gujarat government continue to highlight major drug seizures, serious questions have now emerged over the handling and disposal of confiscated narcotics in Gujarat, with audit findings putting the system under scrutiny.

As per the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) report, in one of the most striking cases, the Surendranagar Special Operations Group (SOG) had seized 31 kg of opium in February 2022. However, records show that only 2 kg was destroyed.

When questioned about the remaining 29 kg, officials reportedly stated that the weight had reduced due to ‘evaporation’, a claim that has raised serious doubts and drawn criticism.

The report further highlights that in some instances, narcotics stored in police custody went missing under questionable circumstances. In one case, 144 kg of ganja was allegedly stolen from a police station. In other instances, officials cited unusual reasons, including claims that rodents had consumed portions of the seized drugs.

A similar discrepancy was noted in Anand district’s Anklav police station, where 226 kg of poppy husk had been seized. While 199 kg was shown as disposed of, the remaining 27 kg was again attributed to ‘evaporation’.

Overall, the audit flagged differences ranging from nearly 12% to as high as 93% between seized and disposed quantities of narcotics, raising serious concerns over record-keeping, storage, and accountability within the system.