16-11-158. Sale or retention of forfeited property -- use of sale proceeds -- destruction of contraband. (1) When property is forfeited under 16-11-159, the department may:

(a) retain the property or any part of the property for official use or, upon application by a law enforcement agency of this state, another state, the District of Columbia, or the United States, for the exclusive use of enforcing the provisions of this chapter or the laws of another state, the District of Columbia, or the United States; or

(b) after advertising, sell the property, other than contraband, at public auction to the highest bidder.

(2) The proceeds of a sale under this section must be applied first to paying the expenses of any investigation leading to the seizure of the property, including costs incurred by a local, state, tribal, or federal law enforcement agency, and of the forfeiture and sale proceedings, including the expenses of seizure, maintenance, custody, and court costs. The balance of the proceeds, less an amount that is based on the value of the property seized on an Indian reservation and that is allocated to a tribe pursuant to a state-tribal cooperative agreement, must be deposited in the state general fund.

(3) Contraband forfeited under 16-11-159 must be destroyed.