Big Haul of Drug Precursors Seized in Southern Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A large haul of drug precursors was captured by the Iranian security forces at the customs of the southern province of Bushehr, the director general of the customs office announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in Bandar Deylam, Bushehr Province, Mansour Bazyar said that 5,000 liters of acetyl chloride, a chemical used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs, have been captured at the customs.
The major haul, which includes 200 barrels of drug precursors weighing approximately 26 kg per barrel, was seized in Bandar Deylam thanks to the vigilance of the customs’ officers and the intelligence forces, the official said.
He added that the drug precursors, as well as the owner of the vessel carrying them, were captured and handed over to the judicial authorities for legal proceedings.
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 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 four decades.
