Authorities burn 565 kilograms of seized drugs

OBRENOVAC - A total of 565 kilograms of seized narcotics worth over RSD 1 billion were burnt in the Nikola Tesla thermal power plant in Obrenovac on Monday.

The incineration of heroin, hashish and marijuana seized by the police in the previous period was attended by Serbian Minister of Interior Affairs Nebojsa Stefanovic who said that some of the drugs were confiscated back in 1995.

He noted that the Monday burning of narcotics was conducted in keeping with all environmental standards and added that the burning of the narcotics does not pose jeopardy for citizens' health.

The minister recalled that a similar action was organised on only one occasion in the past 15 years.

He noted that the quantity of all types of drugs, especially heroin, seized by the police increased in the first six months of the year, and announced intensification in the fight against drug dealers and more frequent incineration of seized drugs.

The government is fully determined to counter organised crime, curb smuggling of narcotics and deal with drug lords, the minister said.

Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar also attended the destruction of the drugs and he agreed that the confiscated narcotics should be destroyed more frequently because there is no reason for drugs to be left lying around drawers and safes.

He noted that incineration of drugs has to be conducted in a transparent way, in the presence of relevant commissions and the media.

Loncar noted that the statistics show that eight percent of minors under 16 have at some point tried a drug. We need to do all we can to change these parameters, the minister said.

The destruction of the seized narcotics and other psychoactive...