Police bust over one ton of drugs in SE Iran – Mehr News Agency – English Version

Police Chief of Sistan and Baluchestan province, Second Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari, said following intelligence operations, the forces traced a big haul of illicit drugs entering the country from the southeastern borders.

He added that the forces, in a surprise operation, arrested two of the drug traffickers while seizing 924kg opium, 39kg heroin, and 209kg hashish.

He said that the arrested individuals have been handed over to the Judiciary.

The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades while 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.

In a letter on Friday, Iran's Permanent Ambassador to the International Organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi pointed to the Islamic Republics leading role in the global fight against drug trafficking despite the US unilateral sanctions.

In a letter to Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Fathi Waly, Gharibabadi urged the United Nations and its member states to fulfill their responsibilities the fight against terrorism and recognize and support Irans activities in this regard.

He added that the Islamic Republic witnessed a 20% hike in busting illegal drugs last year in comparison to the previous year.

Director of Irans headquarters of the fight against narcotic drugs Eskandar Momeni had earlier noted that Iran has the least international support in its campaign against the drugs.

Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past decades.

MAH/ 4932599

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Police bust over one ton of drugs in SE Iran - Mehr News Agency - English Version