ZAHEDAN, Sistan-Baluchestan Province -- Police in Sistan-Baluchestan province said here Saturday that over 472 kg of narcotics have been seized in the past several days.

In a fax to IRNA, it added that the haul was seized during search of several houses and a vehicle in the area.

The police report said that 15 people were arrested in one operation, but did not mention the number of arrests in other operations which led to seizure of about 420 kg of hashish.

Iran lies on the crossroads of a major drug trafficking route originating mainly from Afghanistan.

More than 3,000 members of Iran's armed forces have been killed in cross-border clashes with drug traffickers over 20 years of instability in neighboring Afghanistan.

According to official estimates, Iran's anti-drug campaign cost the country about $800 million annually.

It is credited with 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted worldwide by the International Narcotics Control Board.