Iran flag-bearer of war on drugs: Envoy

Iran’s ambassador to the international organizations in Vienna referred to official statistics as proof that the Islamic Republic is a flag-bearer in the fight against drugs at the international level.

According to Tasnim news agency, in a letter to Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Kazem Gharibabadi said the Iranian security forces have seized more than 778 tons of illicit drugs in a 10-month period, from January to October 2020.

He also noted that the Iranian anti-narcotics forces have been involved in 1,914 armed clashes with drug smugglers during the first ten months of 2020, disbanding 1,886 drug rings and distribution networks.

Nine Iranian forces have been martyred in the Islamic Republic’s war on drugs in January-October 2020, the envoy said in the letter.

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.

The Iranian Police and security forces have been quite successful in ensuring security in the large Province of Sistan and Balouchestan despite its long borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, harsh weather and vast desert areas.

ME