Brigadier General Doustali Jalilian said on Wednesday that the police forces in the southeastern province could identify an armed drug-trafficking gang in the province who were trying to transfer a big shipment of illicit drugs into the country.
During the operation, 7 smugglers were arrested and 1,655 kg of various types of drugs were confiscated, he added.
He noted that the seized narcotics included 1,558 kg of opium, 10 kg of hashish, 79 kg of crystal, and 8 kg of heroin.
Police also confiscated 7 cars that had been used by the smugglers, he further noted.
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.
AMK/5809820