Over 1.2 Tons of Illicit Drugs Seized in Southern Iran in 48 hours
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces have managed to seize more than 1,200 kilograms of various types of narcotics in the southern province of Hormozgan within 48 hours, the provincial police chief announced.
In line with the round-the-clock efforts to combat illicit drugs and smugglers, the local police forces have managed to capture 1,250 kilograms of various kinds of narcotics in an operation that lasted 48 hours, Brigadier General Azizollah Maleki said on Sunday.
The commander further said the seizures include 1,155 kg of opium, 95 kg of hashish, and 253 grams of heroin.
He added that during the operation, two major drug rings were smashed and nine vehicles were also captured by the police forces.
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.