Police Chief of Semnan province Colonel Abdollah Hassani said Saturday that following comprehensive intelligence activities, the police forces of the province seized 1.4 tons of illicit drugs in collaboration with police forces of Tehran and Alborz provinces during an operation which was destined to central parts of Iran form east borders.
During the operation, three smugglers were arrested, he added, saying that the force is on the move to find other elements of the drug trafficking band.
According to the police chief, the big haul included 1,340 kg opium and 68 kg morphine.
Located near Afghanistan which is one of the main sources of opium production in the world, Iran is on the frontline of the fight against drug trafficking. Iran has lost many forces during this fight. 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 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 the World Drug Report 2019 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2017, Iran had seized the largest quantity of opiates, accounting for 39% of the global total.
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