Drug Archives - Iran News Daily

Iran appreciates UNODC-Japan support for fight against drugs

mahla — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 22:17:13 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) –The Iranian anti-narcotics police appreciate the Government of Japan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for their support in dealing with narcotics.

The international community’s support for the anti-narcotics police is very little against the massive amount of drug threats, Nosratollah Barin, the deputy chief of the anti-narcotics police, said.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Aikawa Kazutoshi, the Japanese ambassador, and Alexander Fedulov, the UNODC representative, in Tehran on Tuesday, ISNA reported.

On the sidelines of the meeting, drug detection equipment provided by UNODC and Japan was delivered to the Iranian police.

The provision of modern drug detection equipment to the country is crucial since Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drugs, Barin stressed.

Combating drug ‘a global issue’

The Japanese envoy, for his part, said that the fight against narcotics and drug trafficking is a global issue that demands the widespread contribution of all countries.

He went on to say, “Japan praises Iran’s efforts in this regard and continuously supports its fight against illegal drugs.”

The UNODC official also praised Iran’s notable achievements and measures in the fight against drugs. He pointed out that being equipped with technical assistance and drug-sniffing dogs, the anti-narcotics police will be able to play a key role in the global community’s health.

The front line

Iran is known as the first station and the front line of dealing with all kinds of drugs due to its location on the European transit route of Afghan drugs.

The fight against narcotics is very expensive due to the complexity of the mafia level of this business, a cost that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been paying alone for years despite the support claims of the international community.

On average, more than 90 percent of opium discoveries, 27 percent of heroin discoveries, and 59 percent of morphine discoveries in the world are made by Iran, he said, adding that some 716 tons of narcotics were discovered and seized in the past Iranian calendar year (March 2022-March 2023).

The flow of narcotics into Iran has decreased by about 15 percent over the past four years, Eskandar Momeni, the secretary general of the Iranian anti-narcotics headquarters, has said.

The impact of dismantling the financial foundations of drug traffickers has increased by about 10 times over the past three to four years, he said, adding “This has led to a decrease of 15 percent in the entry of drugs into Iran.”

“The rising trend of drug production in Afghanistan started about 20 years ago, after the occupation of Afghanistan by NATO and the United States.

Therefore, the smuggling of narcotics has increased almost 50 times, that is, from about 200 tons in 2000 to more than 9,000 tons,” Momeni said, ISNA reported.

In May, Momeni said some 1,700 regional and international drug gangs were dismantled by Iran in the year 2022.

Momeni signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghada Fathi Waly, the director general of the UNODC on the sidelines of the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) that was held in Vienna from March 13-17.

The post Iran appreciates UNODC-Japan support for fight against drugs appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iran holds world’s record for drug seizure

mahla — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 13:00:37 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran holds the record for narcotics confiscation in the world, Eskandar Momeni, the director of headquarters for the fight against narcotics, said.

Drugs are a source of many social harms, including divorces, crimes, infectious diseases, so that if drugs are controlled, many of the social harms will also be prevented, he said.

“In the last forty years, according to research, there was a decrease in drug use in the 1970s, while narcotic use increased over the rest of the decades.

However, great achievements in the field of countermeasures have been gained, and the United Nations has officially announced that 90 percent of opium, 70 percent of morphine, and 20 percent of world heroin have been discovered by Iran.

Last year, about 1,200 tons of drugs were discovered, which was the highest rate of discovery in the world,” he explained.

According to figures released by the United Nations in 2000, Afghanistan produced about 200 tons of narcotics, but in 2018, it has grown to 9,500 tons.

In other words, the production of narcotics has increased fifty times, which has doubled the need for prevention efforts, he highlighted.

‘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.

The post Iran holds world’s record for drug seizure appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iranian Border Police Informs of 87% Surge in Seizing Drugs

reporter 1222 — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 09:36:33 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Commander of the Iranian Border Police said the confiscation of illicit drugs by his forces in the first four months of the current Iranian year (began on March 20) has increased by 87% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Iranian Police Brigadier General Ahmadali Goodarzi said on Thursday that 46 tons of drugs have been captured along the country’s border during the first four months of the current Iranian year.

He further unveiled plans to equip the Border Police forces with smart and modern devices.

The Border Police are employing electronic and optical systems, radars, drones, and thermal cameras to control the border round the clock, the commander noted.

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.

The post Iranian Border Police Informs of 87% Surge in Seizing Drugs appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Companies Trying to Rely Less on China for Their Products

reporter 1222 — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 06:07:41 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The US, Japan, and France are prodding their companies to rely less on China to make the world’s smartphones, drugs, and other products.

But even after the coronavirus derailed trade, few want to leave skilled China’s skilled workforce and efficient suppliers of raw materials to move to other countries, AP reported.

Disruptions from the pandemic, on top of the US-Chinese tariff war, fueled warnings that relying too much on China leaves global companies vulnerable to costly breakdowns in the event of disasters or political conflict.

Drugmakers stand out as one industry that is trying to reduce reliance on Chinese suppliers by setting up sources of raw materials in the United States and Europe. But consumer electronics, medical devices, and other industries are sticking with China.

“I don’t know of a single company right now that is moving ahead with any plans to move,” said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

China’s explosive rise as the world’s low-cost factory helped to hold down consumer prices and boosted Western corporate profits. But it has fueled political tension over lost American and European blue-collar jobs. Governments and industry consultants fret that dependence on China can be a threat to supply chains and possibly national security.

Chinese factories assemble most of the world’s smartphones and consumer electronics and a growing share of medical equipment, industrial robots, and other high-tech goods. This country is a dominant supplier of vitamin C and ingredients for antibiotics and other medicines. The ruling Communist Party has spent two decades building ports, railways, telecom networks, and other facilities that are regarded as among the world’s best.

“China still offers an unparalleled supply chain for any industry,” said Jit Lim of Alvarez & Marsal, a management consulting firm.

Philip Richardson, who manufactures loudspeakers in Panyu, near Hong Kong, said he has looked at Vietnam and other countries. But he said while their wages might be as low as 60 percent of China’s, the savings will be eaten up by the cost of giving up his network of Chinese suppliers.

“We gave it consideration for about a minute, and it doesn’t make sense,” said Richardson, who has worked in China for 22 years. “When you buy magnets, now you have to pay for transportation and customs duties into other countries, whereas in China we just buy the magnets and they are shipping to us.”

President Donald Trump took office in 2017 promising to “bring back our jobs.” The next year’s tariff hikes on goods from China in a fight over technology and trade prompted some exporters to shift production. But the changes were small. Most went to other developing countries.

The pandemic has raised political pressure for companies to move.

The Japanese government, which sees China as a strategic rival, is offering 220 billion yen ($2 billion) to companies that move production to Japan in a virus aid package announced in April. It offers 23.5 billion yen ($220 million) for Japanese companies in China to move to other countries.

The tariff war prompted concern about China’s dominance as a supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, used in antibiotics and vitamins. Some American commentators warned Beijing might retaliate by withholding APIs, though was there no sign that happened.

“There will be an increase in the repatriation of national drug supply chains and the re-establishment of national strategic manufacturing capabilities for key drugs,” Sakshi Sikka, who follows the industry for Fitch Solutions, said in an email.

In May, the US government awarded a contract worth up to $812 million over 10 years to Phlow Corp., a Virginia company set up to ensure against drug shortages by producing ingredients and generics.

In Europe, French drugmaker Sanofi SA is setting up an API supplier to reduce reliance on China. Sanofi said the company will be the No. 2 global producer, with annual sales of 1 billion euros by 2022.

India and Indonesia have announced plans to increase their own production of pharmaceutical raw materials.

Those changes are politically driven and will push up costs, while China’s dominance as a global supplier is unlikely to change in the near future, according to Fitch’s Sikka.

Companies including Nike Inc. that used to make shoes, furniture, clothes, and other low-margin goods in China have been migrating for a decade to Southeast Asia, Africa, and other economies in search of cheaper labor.

For higher-end shoes, however, US import duties would have to rise even further before sites such as Ethiopia or Southeast Asia can compete with experienced Chinese workers and flexible suppliers, said Robert Gwynne, who produces women’s shoes for brands including Steve Madden in Dongguan, near Hong Kong.

“All my clients say, we have to diversify,” said Gwynne. But when shown costs in other countries, “90 percent take the China scenario.”

Companies also increasingly are tied to China by the appeal of its 1.3 billion consumers at a time when the West’s spending growth is anemic.

Makers of automobiles and higher-value goods are spending billions of dollars to expand Chinese production. As the economy reopened, Volkswagen AG said in May it would spend 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) to buy control of its Chinese electric vehicle venture and a controlling stake in a battery producer.

Instead of using China to export, “now a lot of people are producing ‘local for local,’” said Lim.

Only 11 percent of companies that responded to a survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said they were “considering shifting investment to other countries,” down from 15 percent last year.

Some are leaving to cut labor costs, but the rest “are really committed to China,” said a chamber vice president, Charlotte Roule.

Moving factories or finding non-Chinese suppliers to reduce the risk of disruption “means further investment,” Roule said. “Who is going to pay for that?”

Charles M. Hubbs, the founder of Premier Guard, which makes surgical gowns, masks and other medical devices in China, said he is gearing up to produce face masks in Mississippi to avoid problems with shipping. But he said such an approach won’t work once the pandemic ends and prices fall back to normal.

“You can afford it now. People are paying $12 for an isolation gown,” said Hubbs, who has worked in China since the late 1980s. “But when COVID is over, you’re going to go back to $3 or $4.”

Many companies already have pursued a “China plus one” strategy in Asia over the past decade. They set up factories in Southeast Asia to serve other markets or insure against disruption in China, even if that raised their costs.

But as China lifted anti-disease controls on business in March, other Asian economies shut down, forcing companies to shift work back to Chinese factories, which are working overtime to make up the shortfall, said Seyedin.

Some US and other leaders are talking about possible tax breaks or other incentives to lure companies home. Trump has threatened to raise taxes on American companies that move from China to any other country but the United States.

Even if tax breaks or subsidies go ahead, companies face the costs of setting up a factory in unfamiliar territory, training rookie employees, finding suppliers, and possible disruption to customer relations said Alvarez & Marsal’s Lim. “Shifting is not free,” he said.

The post Companies Trying to Rely Less on China for Their Products appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Over 23 tons of narcotics seized in Iran in a week

reporter 1222 — Tue, 05 May 2020 14:58:17 +0000

Over 23 tons of narcotics seized in Iran in a week

According To Iran News, Over 23 tons of different illicit drugs have been busted by Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces in the country in the last week, according to an official.

International Deputy of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Nasser Aslani said on Tuesday that a total of 23,072 kilograms of illicit drugs have been seized by police forces across the country in the last week.

The figure indicates a 39 percent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, he added.

According to Aslani, 19,499 kilograms of opium, 2,363 kilograms of hashish, 705 kilograms of morphine, 305 kilograms of heroin, 140 kilograms of crystal, 32 kilograms of grass, and 78 kilograms of other kinds of drugs have been confiscated by anti-narcotics police forces during several operations in the country.

3,815 smugglers have been arrested and 475 vehicles and some ammunition seized in the same period by police forces, he said.

Based on the United Nations reports, Afghanistan ranks first as the producer of opium and heroin in the world. Iran, being Afghanistan’s neighbor, has always been the main route for smuggling narcotics to the Western world.

Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking and thousands of Iranian forces have been so far martyred to protect the world from the danger of drugs.

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.

The post Over 23 tons of narcotics seized in Iran in a week appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Illicit drugs busted in 10 months amounts 800 tons

reporter 1222 — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 11:19:28 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters (DCH) Brig. Gen. Eskandar Momeni said that the anti-narcotics police of Iran have busted a total of 800 tons of different types of illicit drugs in the past ten months up to January 22.

He made the remarks on Tuesday in a meeting on narcotics in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, southern province in Iran.

Some 800 tons of illegal drugs have been seized in the country in the first ten months of the current year (March 21-October 22), he said, adding that the figure indicates a 17% growth in comparison with the corresponding period of last year.

75% of illicit drugs confiscations in the country were in the eastern and southeastern provinces, he noted.

According to the Head of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters, the rate of drug confiscation has increased by 9% in Hormozgan Province compared to the corresponding period last year.

The Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug trades originating from Afghanistan in the past four decades, despite its high economic and human costs. The country has spent more than hundreds of millions of dollars on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

According to reports, in 2018 alone, Iranian forces carried out 1,557 operations against drug traffickers, seizing approximately 807 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The post Illicit drugs busted in 10 months amounts 800 tons appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Tons of Illicit Drugs Seized at Borders

reporter 1222 — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 10:58:05 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Commander of Iran’s Border Police Brigadier General Qassem Rezaei said his forces have managed to capture more than 62 tons of illicit drugs over the past eight months.

“In addition to ensuring order and security through carrying out purposeful activities and operations in the fight against trafficking, the zealous border guards have managed to seize more than 62 tons of illicit drugs along the country’s borders,” Brigadier General Rezaei told reporters in the southern port city of Bushehr on Tuesday.

He further emphasized that the seizures, which have occurred over the past 8 months, show a 59-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The commander also highlighted the close cooperation between Iran’s Border Police with its counterparts in neighboring countries and said interactions with the neighbors and agreements with the UAE, Qatar, and Oman, have helped the Border Police’s fight against trafficking and led to the seizures of wanted vessels.

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.

The post Tons of Illicit Drugs Seized at Borders appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iran’s anti-narcotics police dismantle drugs band in south

reporter 1222 — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 11:02:31 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces have dismantled a drug smuggling band and seized two consignments of illicit drugs in the southern provinces of Iran.

Some 2,380 kilograms of different drugs were seized during clashes between the Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces and smugglers attempting to smuggle the drugs into the country through Mirjaveh borders, said Commander of Sistan and Baluchestan Border Guards Colonel Mohammad Mollashahi.

According to the police chief, 2,287 kilograms of opium and 100 kilograms of hashish were confiscated during the operation.

Four smugglers have been arrested in this regard and handed over to the judicial officials and two vehicles along with a number of different weapons were captured, he added.

In another operation, the police forces of Hormozgan Province have dismantled a drug trafficking band that carried drugs from Hasht Bandi city to Minab, said Police Chief of Hormozgan Province Second Brigadier General Gholamreza Jafari.

The busted consignment contained 634 kilograms of opium, he added, saying that two criminals were also detained during the operation.

The Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past three decades, despite its high economic and human costs. The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades. The country has spent more than hundreds of millions of dollars on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

The post Iran’s anti-narcotics police dismantle drugs band in south appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iran’s Self-Sufficiency in Medications is a Need

reporter 1222 — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 12:00:36 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz emphasized that the country is able to produce nearly all its needed medicine despite the US sanctions. Iran’s self-sufficiency in medications is an achievement needed to be accomplished.

Iran is currently able to produce %99 of medicine needed by patients with the remaining one percent either not being cost-effective to be produced domestically or it is a totally new product in the world, Shanehsaz said, addressing the 16th Conference on Iran’s Pharmaceutical Sciences in Kermanshah on Wednesday.

He added that some 180 medicines will be produced in Iran within two years, which will save 250 million dollars in the currency for the country.

“Currently, Iran has a special status in terms of scientific products in the field of pharmaceuticals, which is indebted to the efforts of the local experts and elites,” Shanehsaz said.

While the enemies are seeking to create problems for the country, it has attained self-sufficiency in producing medicine, he said, noting that there is no shortage of medicine despite sanctions and pressure piled on the country.

Iran has taken long strides in producing different types of drugs and medical equipment and exported them to many foreign states.

A recent report by the scientific and technological department of Iran’s presidential office said that the country is able to produce 97% of its needs to drugs indigenously.

in July, Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari unveiled 8 new drugs during his visit to knowledge-based companies in Alborz province near Tehran.

The newly-developed drugs included Micro-Peltamparazole, Tamsulosin hydrochloride, Naltrexone base, Citalyptin phosphate, Peo glitazone, and other medicine.

As a result of Iran’s self-sufficiency in medications, the drugs have applications in the treatment of digestive diseases and intestinal insufficiency, and will also be exported to the regional states.

The post Iran’s Self-Sufficiency in Medications is a Need appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Human drugs production volume up by 9.6% in 4 months

reporter 1222 — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 08:30:50 +0000

From March 21 to July 21, 12.9 billion human drugs were produced in the country, showing a 9.6 percent hike as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

According to the data of the ministry, production of detergents recorded a 6.5 percent decline in the same period as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

About 198,500 tons of detergents were produced in the country in the same period.

The post Human drugs production volume up by 9.6% in 4 months appeared first on Iran News Daily.