Iranian Police Seize about Two Tons of Illicit Drugs in Southeastern Province
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces managed to seize over 1,800 kilograms of illicit drugs and disbanded two drug rings in the southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan, the provincial police chief announced.
Following extensive intelligence measures by the police forces of the province, a major drug gang that was attempting to transit a big haul of illicit drugs was identified in Saravan in southern Sistan and Balouchestan, General Hossein Rahimi said on Saturday.
The police operational units chased the vehicles of the drug ring and clashed with the traffickers last night, the commander said.
During the operation, the forces managed to arrest four drug dealers and seize 1,211 kilograms of opium, 76 kg of heroin, and 132 kg of hashish, along with a Kalashnikov gun and some ammunition, General Hossein Rahimi went on to say.
In another operation, the police forces in Khash and Zahedan arrested a drug smuggler and seized 334 kg of opium and 62 kg of hashish.
Iran, which has a 900-kilometer common border with Afghanistan, has been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.
Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past three decades.
The country has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.
The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past 35 years.
