Drug-Addicted Rats Eating Marijuana Kept As Evidence In US Police Station: Report

Rats have been found consuming drugs, especially marijuana, seized and stored by the Houston Police Department (HPD), Texas, leaving hundreds of cases vulnerable to destruction, according to a report in Fox News. The city officials said they were made aware of rodents dining in their evidence room in October last year and despite involving professional exterminators, the problem persists. The menace has prompted the district attorney's office to notify defence attorneys in more than 3,600 open drug-related cases out of an abundance of caution.

"Just one example, we've got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the only ones enjoying," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said during a news conference.

"The problem has been so much evidence is kept and stored that it is no longer needed; that has no impact on the resolution of that charge that conviction, or even that innocence," Mr Whitmire added.

Apart from being addicted to marijuana, rats are also tripping on psilocybin by eating packaging that contains mushrooms.

"The Harris County District Attorney's Office was notified last week that the Houston Police Department Narcotics Evidence Room at 1200 Travis had a problem or issue with rodents," said Joshua Reiss, general counsel at the Harris County District Attorney.

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'Nationwide problem'

Currently, there are 1.2 million pieces of evidence stored in the building that is no longer relevant. To illustrate the problem, Police Chief Noe Diaz, told reporters that cocaine seized in 1996 was still in the evidence room even after the accused had pleaded guilty and served his 20-year prison sentence.

As per Peter Stout, the president of the Houston Forensic Science Center, the problem of rodents chomping on evidence was a nationwide problem.

"This is a problem for property rooms everywhere in the country - rodents, bugs, fungus, all kinds of things love drugs," said Mr Stout.

"This is difficult getting these rodents out of there. I mean, think about it. They're drug-addicted rats. They're tough to deal with," he added.

For now, the HPD and other agencies have permission from the DA's office to destroy any drug evidence from cleared cases before 2015. A new position has been created in the office, to be filled by a senior attorney who will work with law enforcement to help destroy evidence that is no longer needed.

Notably, in March last year, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) head also announced that its building had been infested with rodents high on confiscated marijuana.