Eskandar Momeni made the comments during the 65th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs which is underway in Vienna, Austria.
Momeni said that Iran has succeeded in carrying out about 5,000 operations and apprehending more than 2,300 active local, regional and international drug trafficking networks in 2021.
He added that 14 Iranian anti-narcotics police forces were martyred during the operations to tackle the global drug crisis, and 26 forces in clashes with miscreants and terrorist groups.
Iran has adopted a new strategy in order to save the lives of victims of drugs and increase the sense of responsibility among different social groups, also to prevent drug addiction, he noted, adding that the presence of powers from outside the region, the relationship of drugs and terrorism, the irresponsibility of some countries, the lack of effective identification of international drug traffickers are among the main challenges facing the fight against narcotics in the West Asia region.
The Iranian official also said that the foreign sanctions imposed by certain countries which are making problems for Iran in the fight against narcotics are in blatant violation of human rights and all international rules as well as the UN resolutions.
He further noted that according to media reports, the production of opium has increased in Afghanistan, and the country has also become a center for the production and trafficking of methamphetamine.
Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and take serious and urgent action regarding the transit of drug precursors from European countries and other countries to Afghanistan, Momeni also noted.
International cooperation among the countries that are the origin, the destination and on the way of the drug precursors in order to counter the diversion and illegal use of these substances in the production of narcotics and psychotropic substances, and to target the financial flow of the narcotics trade using all available capacities, the need to review and adopt an effective approach and executive plan by the UN and serious attention to alternative cultivation, livelihoods and sustainable development in Afghanistan in the light of the recent realities and developments, were among Momeni's suggestions to the Commission.
KI/NM/FNA14001223000938
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