What Happens to the Drugs That are Seized in a Big Bust in Texas?

It seems almost every week we hear about some kind of drug bust in East Texas. That bust could be for any type of drug but we mostly see it for marijuana and meth. Some recent busts in Texas have seen pounds upon pounds of drugs being seized by authorities. Those bricks would take up a lot of room in a storage facility. So what happens to all the drugs that are seized during a bust? It's not as exciting as you might think but it is effective and keeps evidence rooms from overflowing.

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Drug Busts in Texas

Drug busts come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as a couple of pounds to close to a ton as was seen in North Texas a couple of years ago. No matter the size, those drugs can take up a lot of room in an evidence room or other storage facility for evidence. Police also don't want any of those drugs getting back out into the public for obvious safety reasons. So what happens to the seized drugs? It's rather simple, they're burned. But it's a special burn that is used to destroy the drugs.

There is a process for this stuff. I don’t think most people know kind of what happens after an arrest is is made. - Robinson Police Chief Rich Andreucci

Process from Trial to Disposal

When a bust happens, all of those drugs are taken in as evidence of the crime. A small portion of those drugs are sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab for testing. This will determine exactly what kind of drug has been seized. This will also help in determining what charges to bring.

Following the trial, police will submit a letter to the judge to be signed that will authorize the destruction of the drugs from that trial. The drugs are then sent away to be burned. The drugs are not just thrown in a barrel and then lit on fire. They are placed in a special receptacle that will burn at a very high temperature and contains special filters so chemicals used in the drug making process do not go airborne (KETK).

Not as Exciting but Effective

The burn turns the drugs to a harmless ash. So yeah, not as exciting as you thought it might be but that's what happens to drugs seized in a drug bust in East Texas.

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