Iranian police seize 350 tons of narcotics in 8 months

Commander of the anti-narcotics squad of Iran’s Law Enforcement Police General Ali Moayyedi announced that his forces have discovered and seized hundreds of tons of illicit drugs in the first 8 months of the current Iranian year (March 21-November 21). “We have discovered and seized a sum of 350 tons of narcotics in the first eight months of the current year,” General Moayyedi said on Tuesday. He noted that the seized drugs included 280 tons of opium, 8 tons of heroin, 6 tons of morphine, 44 tons of hashish and 12 tons of other types of narcotics. General Moayyedi reiterated that police have also destroyed 1,600 drug gangs in the said period. Iran spends billions of dollars and has lost thousands of its police troops in the war against traffickers. Owing to its rigid efforts, Iran makes 81 percent of the world's total opium seizures and has turned into the leading country in drug campaign. Late in May 2011, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura acknowledged increased drug production in Afghanistan, and praised Iran's activities and efforts in fighting drug plantation, production and trafficking. Iran lies on a major drug route between Afghanistan and Europe, as well as the Persian Gulf states. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian police have lost around 4,000 of their personnel in the country's combat against narcotics. Iran has recently established a central database and strengthened police-judiciary cooperation in a new effort to combat organized crime. Every year, Iran burns more than 60 tons of seized narcotics as a symbol of its determination to fight drugs.