Dear New Zealand Police,

I reside in New Zealand and am a New Zealand citizen.

I request the following information to be provided through a formal response.

I would appreciate it if you could provide me with detailed information regarding the standard procedures for the destruction of controlled drugs within the jurisdiction of New Zealand. Specifically, I am seeking clarification on the following points:

1. Could you please confirm if there is a standard or formal procedure in place for the destruction of controlled drugs? If so, please detail these procedures.

2. I would like to understand the complete process involved in the security and destruction of controlled drugs, starting from the moment they are stored as evidence. This includes, but is not limited to:

2a. The protocols for securely storing controlled drugs while they are in police custody.
2b. The steps involved in handling and documenting these drugs as evidence.
2c. Any procedures to verify if subsection 18 (2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 applies to the evidence (e.g. licence verification or section 8, including subsection 8 (7) [palliation])
2d. Any specific procedures for transporting controlled drugs to the location where destruction takes place.
2e. The destruction process itself, including any oversight, verification, or record-keeping mechanisms.
2f. Any follow-up actions taken after the destruction of the controlled drugs.

3. Could you please provide a breakdown of controlled drugs taken into evidence, the quantity of controlled drug, what region it was held in, how long it was held before destruction, and ideally what procedure was used to destroy the controlled drug if different from a standard procedure. Ideally this should include at least the last 5 years of data, or as much historic data available.

If some steps or procedures vary depending on the specific situation, or controlled drug, or if parts of the process are not formally outlined, or some information is not available, I kindly ask that you provide as much information as is available for each part of the request mentioned above.

Yours faithfully,

F Cook