Health: Destroying about 239 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Baghdad
Baghdad -INA
The Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday the destruction of about 239 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Baghdad.
A statement from the ministry received by the Iraqi News Agency (WAA) stated that "with the guidance and supervision of the Minister of Health, Abdul Hussein Al-Moussawi, Chairman of the Supreme National Commission for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, the Destruction Committee examined and destroyed quantities of narcotic substances and psychotropic substances preserved in the Department of Forensic Medicine, totaling about 239 kilograms of various types of drugs, 1388 tablets of psychotropic substances, and 202 bottles containing codeine."
It explained that "the destruction process came under the supervision of a specialized committee headed by the representative of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Yasser Fantal Al-Khuzai, and in the presence of the Director General of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Zaid Ali Abbas, and members of the committee from representatives of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the General Authority of Customs, the General Directorate of Drug Affairs, and the Border Forces Command."
Judge Al-Khuza'i stressed that "the destruction process was carried out in dedicated incinerators with a temperature of up to 1000 degrees Celsius, to ensure the complete elimination of the materials and their transformation into ashes free of any chemical trace," noting that "the committee continues its work in order to accelerate the destruction of narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors that are seized by the security authorities."
It added that "this step comes within the efforts of the Ministry of Health to implement the government program and develop a mechanism to combat drugs as a national priority, and reduce the risk of these substances to society."