drugs Archives - Iran News Daily

Momeni: Iran’s fight against drugs continues despite sanctions, pandemic

mahla — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 06:26:02 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran has carried on a battle against narcotics in spite of being highly affected by cruel sanctions and COVID-19 pandemic, Eskandar Momeni, the director of headquarters for the fight against narcotics, said.

Iran has received the least possible assistance and cooperation in the global fight against narcotics while facing the most oppressive U.S. sanctions and unilateral coercive measures in supplying equipment and forces for this global fight, he lamented.

He went on to note that the issue of counternarcotic is no exception to the consequences of COVID-19 disease, and all current programs and activities in this area have been affected by the current situation.

Last year (March 2020 – March 2021), amid the pandemic, Iran has participated in more than 20 regional and international events online, in cooperation with the UNODC office in Tehran, he highlighted, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The counter-narcotics agencies and police forces succeeded in detecting about 1,150 tons of various types of narcotics by strengthening the mechanisms for monitoring and exchanging information between the responsible organizations.

This volume of discoveries is a new and unprecedented record in the fight against drugs, which shows a growth of about 41 percent compared to 2019, he noted, adding, some 90 percent of the substances found were opium, 26 percent heroin, and 48 percent morphine.

This success has been achieved with the martyrdom of 10 law enforcement and counter-narcotics forces in the global front against drug transit, he further stated.

Iran’s anti-narcotics measures

Iran seized some 1,000 tons of narcotics in the Iranian calendar year 1398 (ended March 20, 2020), putting the country in first place in the world, Momeni said in July 2020.

After the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), 3,800 were martyred, 12,000 were wounded and disabled in the fight against drug trafficking, Momeni announced.

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 the 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.

Iran’s drug control efforts led to the seizure of 266 tons of different types of drugs during the period of April-June 2020, a 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019.

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Venezuela Military Downs US Plane Carrying Drugs

reporter 1222 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:02:23 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Venezuela’s military has shot down a US-registered aircraft carrying drugs, the South American country’s Interior Minister, Nestor Reverol, announced.

According to the minister, the incident took place Tuesday, with the aircraft downed after illegally entering Venezuelan airspace in the province of Zulia near the border with Colombia.

“After the illegal air unit was detected by the radars of the Comprehensive Aerospace Defense Command, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces activated all protocols established in the Control Law for the Comprehensive Defense of Airspace,” Reverol tweeted, referring to a 2013 law authorizing the destruction of any suspected cartel plane operating in Venezuelan airspace.

“We remain on permanent alert, monitoring our airspace to prevent it from being used for illicit drug trafficking from Colombia, which is the largest producer of cocaine in the world,” Reverol added, in a possible reference to the plane’s cargo, Sputnik reported.

Tuesday’s incident was the second since July 8, when another plane with a US registration number was destroyed by fighter jets while intruding into Venezuelan airspace. A month before that, another drug-laden private aircraft was destroyed by the military.

Venezuela’s military is equipped with some of the latest Russian military equipment, including the S-300 air defense system, which features long-range radar, as well as Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, which complement the US and European equipment the country bought before Washington put embargoes on military-related equipment to Caracas in the 2000s.

Venezuela has been a popular route for Colombian drug traffickers going back to the 1970s. In recent years, however, the country has stepped up its efforts to combat drug smuggling through its territory, while simultaneously cutting off relations with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over suspected espionage activities unrelated to combating drug smuggling.

Despite Caracas’s efforts to combat narcotics smuggling, Washington has accused Venezuela of not doing enough to deal with the problem, and has even claimed that high-ranking Venezuelan officials are engaged in the operation of a ‘narco-terrorist’ cartel operation themselves. Venezuelan officials have blasted their US counterparts over the claims, with President Nicolas Maduro describing the allegations as the fantasy of “racist cowboy” US President Donald Trump.

The Venezuelan Air Force regularly targets unidentified aircraft used by regional drug cartels. A similar incident took place in July, when another plane with a US registration number was shot down by fighter jets while intruding into Venezuelan airspace.

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Mexican Drug Lord ‘Chapo’ Guzman Appeals His Sentence

reporter 1222 — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 06:39:26 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman appealed against his life sentence handed down a year ago by a US court for trafficking hundreds of tons of narcotics into the country.

“El Chapo,” as he is commonly known, is kept in isolation, incarcerated one of the United States’ highest security prisons, located in Colorado’s mountainous desert, AFP reported.

“Chapo Guzman’s prosecution was marred by rampant excess and overreach, both governmental and judicial,” his lawyer Marc Fernich wrote in the appeal, presented late Friday to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

The 62-year-old former leader of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, was convicted last year of crimes spanning a quarter of a century, including trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana.

A lawyer for Guzman, Mariel Colon Miro, told AFP the initial ruling should be annulled because one of the jurors told Vice News he and others found information about the case via the media and social networks during the trial, which is prohibited.

She added that the complete isolation imposed on Guzman since his extradition to the US in January 2017 prevented him from collaborating on his defense both before and after the trial.

“We are very optimistic that something positive will come of this,” Miro said, adding she hoped a new trial would be held.

During Guzman’s reign, his cartel’s empire expanded across the globe, its tentacles stretching from the Americas to Europe and Asia.

He managed to break out of prison twice. The second time, in 2015, via a one-mile (1.5 kilometer) tunnel that opened in his cell’s shower. He zoomed out by hopping on a modified motorcycle mounted on rails.

Mexican marines captured Guzman six months later in January 2016 and he was extradited to the United States a year later, ending his decades-long cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

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Iran Intelligence Dismantles Drug Gang in NW

reporter 1222 — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 11:26:40 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Intelligence forces have identified and dismantled an international drug smuggling gang in West Azarbaijan Province, northwest Iran.

According to the released statement of the Iran intelligence ministry, through extensive operations carried out by the Intelligence Ministry forces, an international drug smuggling gang has been identified and dismantled in West Azarbaijan Province

Following an armed clash between the Intelligence Ministry forces and the smugglers, the European leader of the gang was killed and the other 7 key members of the gang who were trying to transfer the illicit drug consignment to European countries were arrested.

The Intelligence Ministry forces managed to confiscate 1,100 kilograms of heroin during the operation.

Being a neighbor to the biggest producer of drugs in the world has caused the Islamic Republic of Iran to shoulder a heavy burden as one of the main routes for drug transport. 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.

Tehran has always asked for international help in such operations, noting that the other countries, especially European states, should take responsibility and play a positive role in this fight or face its threats themselves.

The issue of drugs is a global scourge and there is the need for wide-scale cooperation at the international level so as to tackle this problem. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted an interactive approach with the global community concerning the issue of drugs and has virtually indicated that it spares no efforts in enhancing cooperation with other countries and international organizations in the campaign against illicit drugs.

On this basis, Iran has always voiced its resolve for countering illicit drugs and reducing its harms at the global level. Iran’s performance in countering drug trafficking has been effective in maintaining the security of different regions of the globe.

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Swedish Citizens Arrested in Iran for Drug

reporter 1222 — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:18:01 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Police arrested two Swedish citizens involved in drug trafficking.

In a recent anti-narcotics operation, the Iranian Police disbanded an international drug ring.

Among the main members of the cartel are two Swedish nationals.

Reports suggest that the bulk of the illicit drugs confiscated in the operation have been produced in drug laboratories.

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.

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Over 2 ton of illicit drugs seized in Iran’s Mirjaveh

reporter 1222 — Sun, 03 May 2020 15:24:12 +0000

Over 2 ton of illicit drugs seized in Iran’s Mirjaveh

According To Iran News, The police force of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have seized a big haul of different drugs in the southeastern borders.

Commander of Sistan and Baluchestan Border Guards Colonel Mohammad Mollashahi said on Sunday that some 2,306 kilograms of different drugs were seized during a clash between the police forces and a gang attempting to smuggle the drugs into the country through Mirjaveh borders.

Some 2,070 kilograms of opium and 143 kilograms of hashish, 60 kilograms of crystal, and 33 kilograms of other types of drugs were seized in the operation in addition to confiscation of a large number of weapons and ammunition, he added.

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.

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Police confiscates above 2.3 tons of illicit drugs in SE Iran

reporter 1222 — Sun, 03 May 2020 15:21:31 +0000

Police confiscates above 2.3 tons of illicit drugs in SE Iran

According To Iran News, Iran’s Border Guard Commander Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaie informed on Sunday that Anti-narcotics police forces have seized 2.306 tons of illicit drugs at Iran-Pakistan Mirjaveh border, in the southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan.

Following comprehensive intelligence operations, anti-narcotics police forces identified the heavy consignment of illegal drugs, he said.

The guards, as he informed, could seize two sedans, warm weapons, 2.36 tons of drugs including 2.070 tons of opium, 143 kilograms of hashish, 60 kilograms of crystal, and 33 kilograms of other illegal drugs.

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.

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 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.

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Drug production grows 23% in Iran

reporter 1222 — Sat, 02 May 2020 07:13:30 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Statistics of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade showed that 48.2 billion human drugs were produced in the country last year [from March 21, 2019, to March 20, 2020], registering a 23.7 percent growth as compared to the same period of last year.

In the same period, 604,500 tons of detergents were produced in the country, showing a 5.1 percent decline as compared to a year earlier, the ministry added.

In addition, domestic factories succeeded in producing 36,600 tons of pesticides, recording a 37.2 percent growth as compared to the same period of last year.

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Police Hunts Over 2 Tons of Drugs in Sistan

reporter 1222 — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 12:40:08 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have seized 2.390 tons of illegal drugs in Saravan, in the southeast of the province.

Police Chief of Sistan and Balouchestan province Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari said on Saturday that 2,390 kilograms of different drugs were seized when the police force busted a gang attempting to smuggle the drugs into the country through Saravan borders.

The smuggled cargo was carried by two cars commuting in Saravan-Khash road, he added.

1,927 kg of opium, 436 kg of hashish, and 53 kg of other types of drugs have been seized during the operation, in addition to confiscation of some amount of ammunition, he said.

According to the police chief, the smugglers fled to the highlands of the area using the darkness of the night.

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.

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Japan Avigan Most Wanted Medicine for COVID-19

reporter 1222 — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:03:21 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The government of Japan plans to provide nations hit by the coronavirus pandemic with the anti-flu drug Avigan developed by a Japanese chemical firm.

Clinical trials of Avigan are now underway in Japan to examine the effectiveness and safety of the drug for potential use in treating symptoms caused by the new coronavirus.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Friday that the government has so far received requests for the drug from about 30 countries.

Suga said the government plans to expand clinical trials of Avigan while having discussions with the countries that placed the requests, NHK reported.

He added that it will provide each of those nations with the amount of the drug they need, free of charge.

The German government reportedly plans to procure millions of packs of Avigan to treat coronavirus patients with severe illness.

Researchers in China say that Avigan proved effective in clinical trials with people infected with the coronavirus.

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