16 Tons of Illicit Drugs Seized in Southern Iran in 3 Months


16 Tons of Illicit Drugs Seized in Southern Iran in 3 Months

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces have managed to seize more than 16,000 kilograms of various types of illicit drugs in the southern province of Hormozgan over the past three months, the provincial police chief announced.

In line with efforts to combat illicit drugs and clean the province from smugglers, the local police forces have managed to identify 219 vehicles carrying the drugs over the first three months of the current Iranian year (which started on March 21), Brigadier General Azizollah Maleki said on Wednesday.

He further said that 16.158 tons of illicit drugs, including 12,975 kg of opium, 3,115 kg of hashish, 39 kg of heroin and 27.5kg of other types of illicit drugs have been seized during the said period.

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 38 years.

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