International Deputy of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Nasser Aslani made the announcement on Sunday, saying that 78 percent of drug confiscation has been carried out in 7 Iranian provinces, including Sistan and Baluchestan , South Khorasan, Kerman, Yazd, Isfahan, Hormozgan and Khorasan Razavi.
Some 16,234 kilograms of illegal drugs consisting of 14,481 kilograms of opium and 1,134 kilograms of hashish, 322 kilograms of heroin, 131 kilograms of crystal, 79 kilograms of grass, and 87 kilograms of other kinds of drugs have been confiscated by police forces across the country in the last week, he added.
The figure indicates a 58 percent increase compared to the corresponding period last year (10,257 kg), said Aslani.
He noted that 4,081 smugglers have been arrested and 357 vehicles and some ammunition seized in the same period by police forces.
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.
Iran has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab, and Central Asian countries.
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