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| Iran busts major international drug mafia |
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TEHRAN – One of the biggest international mafia gangs have been busted in the Persian Gulf waters by the Iranian police, General Ali Moayyedi, the head of Iran’s anti narcotics police, announced on Saturday.
General Moayyedi also told a press conference that on average Iranian police discover 1387 kilos of illegal drugs per day.
The general went on to say that anti-narcotic officers were able to discover and confiscate around 215 tons of illegal drugs including 166 tons of opium, one ton of crystal (methamphetamine) and some hashish and heroin in the first 5 months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21.
General Moayyedi added that compared to the last year, this year shows a 25 percent rise in illegal drug discovery.
This year alone, police have identified and destroyed 1,100 drug bands, he explained.
According to the United Nations, Iran ranks first among all countries in the world in shutting down drug routes into its territory.
With a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, Iran has been used as the main conduit for smuggling illicit drugs from its neighbor to drug kingpins in Europe.
In response, the Iranian government has spent over $700 million to seal its borders and prevent the transit of illicit drugs destined for European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian countries.
Despite the presence of U.S. and British troops in Afghanistan and their extensive public relations campaign about their efforts to eliminate the production and smuggling of drugs, 3,600 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan in 2010, based on UN statistics and estimates.
MG/PA
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