Iranian official: US planes transporting narcotics in Afghanistan

Iran says the production of narcotic drugs has witnessed a fifty-fold increase over a span of eight years in Afghanistan and that American planes as well as those belonging to the US-led military alliance, NATO, are engaged in transporting illicit drugs in the war-torn country.

According to Press TV, Eskandar Mo'meni, Director of Iran Drug Control Headquarters, made the announcement during a video conference of the deputies, general secretaries and secretaries of the provincial anti-narcotics coordination councils in the capital, Tehran, on Monday.

“In the year 2000, the total production of narcotics in Afghanistan was about 200 tons, which in 2017 reached more than 9,000 tons, an increase by almost 50 times,” Mo'meni said, adding that according to credible information, NATO and US aircraft are transporting illicit drugs in the neighboring country.

The Iranian official said adequate measures have been taken in the field of countering drugs over the past four decades, but it seems that we have further miles to go in the field of prevention.

“While efforts in the areas of countering, treatment and harm reduction are being vigorously pursued, the first priority of Iran Drug Control Headquarters is in the field of preventing an outbreak and addiction,” Mo'meni underlined.

Last month, Russia’s TASS news agency also quoted the Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan as saying that the US intelligence has been involved in “drug trafficking” in the war-ravaged country.

“US intelligence officers... are involved in drug trafficking. Their planes from Kandahar, from Bagram [airfield near Kabul] are flying wherever they want to - to Germany, to Romania - without any inspections," Zamir Kabulov said.

Kabulov stressed that US involvement in drug trafficking to Europe through uncharted planes is an open secret in Afghanistan, saying, "Every citizen of Kabul will tell you that, everyone is ready to talk about that.”

The United Nations says more than 80 percent of the world’s opium is produced in Afghanistan and the bulk of narcotics produced in the country are destined for European states.

ME