TEHRAN (Iran News) – Over 1,200 tons of narcotics seized in calendar year. Iranian anti-narcotics police discovered 1,200 tons of various drugs during the past [Iranian calendar] year (March 2020-March 2021), which is two-folded compared to the recent years, Eskandar Momeni, the director of headquarters for the fight against narcotics, said.
Iran is the leading country in the fight against narcotics worldwide; despite its proximity to Afghanistan, which is the largest producer of narcotics, he explained, IRIB reported on Saturday.
The country has also carried on a battle against narcotics in spite of being highly affected by cruel sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
“Last year, more than 1,200 tons of various drugs were confiscated, which shows a decrease in drug trafficking and transit to Europe,” he highlighted.
According to the UN Office, the Islamic Republic’s continuous efforts to combat narcotics trafficking came up with the seizure of more than 90 percent of opium, 70 percent of morphine, and 20 percent of world heroin.
‘common understanding, global action’
Iranian deputy anti-narcotics police chief Naqi Mahmoudi has stressed that the drug trafficking fight requires a common understanding and action by all members of the international community, and no country alone can address the challenges in this area.
Despite the conditions caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the imposition of harsh sanctions against the country, fortunately, with the efforts of anti-narcotics police in 2020, drug detection increased by 41 percent.
After the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), 3,800 were martyred, 12,000 were wounded and disabled in the fight against drug trafficking.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has praised Iran’s efforts to fight against narcotics trafficking on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The organization also officially announced that the world’s first place in the discovery of opium, heroin, and morphine belongs to Iran.
According to UNODC, Iran remains one of the major transit routes for drug trafficking from Afghanistan to European countries and has had a leading role at the global level in drug-control campaigns.
UNODC World Drug Report 2020 estimates that in 2018, 91 percent of world opium, 48 percent of the world morphine, and 26 percent of the world heroin were seized by Iran.
