Eskandar Momeni said in a press conference in Zahedan on Sunday that more than 550 tons of illegal drugs have been seized in the country in the first seven months of the current year (March 21-October 22).
The figure indicates a 15% growth in comparison with the corresponding period of last year, he added.
With the efforts of the anti-narcotics police, Iran’s share of identifying and busting opium rings has increased by 90%, Momeni said, adding that Iran is responsible for 67% of morphine discoveries in the world.
According to the Head of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, the rate of drug discoveries has increased by 90% in Sistan and Baluchistan Province compared to the corresponding period last year.
Iran has lost 3,800 forces during the fight against drug smuggling so far, he noted.
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.
According to reports, in 2018 alone, Iranian forces carried out 1,557 operations against drug traffickers, seizing approximately 807 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
MNA/4768503
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