The Commander of the Border Guards of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NAJA) Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaie said on Sunday that following comprehensive intelligence operations, the police forces identified a smuggling gang near the borders of the province which was planning to transfer illegal drugs into the country.
Some 5.705 tons of illicit drugs consisting of 3.700 tons of opium and 2.005 tons of morphine have been seized during the clash between the antinarcotics force and the gang attempting to smuggle the drugs into the province, he added.
According to Rezaie, seven smugglers were arrested during the operation in addition to confiscation of a large number of weapons and ammunition.
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.
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.
MNA/IRN83540359