Pursuit's Take
For this audit, OIG examined the DEA’s controls over seized and collected drugs, which are of critical importance given the addictive nature and market value of these substances, and their role as key evidence in criminal prosecutions.
OIG found that drug exhibits were not always recorded properly in the Temporary Drug Ledger, and were unable to locate DEA-12s for 9 percent (12 of 132) of the exhibits.
Further, at the three laboratories visited, OIG found that drug exhibits were often not entered into the inventory management system in a timely fashion, thereby delaying the creation of a formal record to reflect the DEA’s possession of the drugs.