"Despite more than a decade of efforts to block the fight against narcotics, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made good progress," said Eskandar Momeni in the specialized meeting on the actions and achievements of Iran in the field of international cooperation in the fight against drugs.
"The world has been fighting against drugs for more than a century, but unfortunately we are witnessing an increase in the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs so that in the last 10 years, drug use and consumption has doubled," he added.
"Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, we are witnessing an increasing production of traditional and industrial narcotics, which in the last two decades, with the presence of the occupiers in this country, production and cultivation has increased about 50 times," Momeni noted.
Emphasizing that Iran will continue to fight against drugs with all its might, he highlighted, "Despite the difficult situation caused by the pandemic, Iran managed to confiscate 1,200 tons of narcotics in 2020 which indicates a 41% increase compared to the corresponding period last year. This shows Iran's adherence to international obligations."
"Unfortunately, this year we had 9 martyrs and dozens wounded in the fight against drugs," he said.
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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