ZAHEDAN, Apr. 26 (MNA) – Iran’s anti-narcotics police forces of Sistan and Baluchestan province have managed to capture 415 kilograms of drugs in an armed clash in Saravan region, bordering Pakistan.

Commander of Sistan and Baluchestan Border Guards Second Brigadier General Mohammad Mollashahi broke the news on Sunday, noting that following comprehensive intelligence activities, the police forces traced the haul of the illicit drugs, which was mainly constituted of opium in a Peugeot sedan trying to transport the drugs into the central parts of the country.

Two offenders were also captured during the operation, he added.

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.

The war on drug trade has also claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades.

MNA/4909536