TEHRAN, Jul. 16 (MNA) – The police forces of Yazd province in Iran have busted over one ton of illicit drugs in two separate operations, according to the police commander.

Brigadier General Abbas Ali Behdani Fard, the Police commander of Yazd Province said on Wednesday that police forces of the province have identified and confiscated two illegal consignment of narcotics in the past 48 hours.

Five smugglers have been arrested in this regard who had intended to transfer the consignments of drugs to the capital of Iran from eastern borders, he added.

Five vehicles have been seized in addition to confiscation of 1,048 kilograms of opium and hashish, he said.  

The police forces of Yazd province have seized 17 tons of drugs in the province since the beginning of the current calendar year (March 19), according to the police chief.

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.

The war on drug trade originating from some regional countries has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades.

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