TEHRAN - The commander of Sistan-Balouchestan Province border guards said on Sunday that his forces have disbanded a large gang of drug traffickers, seizing a remarkable amount of narcotics.

Second Brigadier General Mohammad Molashahi said, "The guards of the Mirjaveh border regiment, tipped off by the intelligence about a heavy consignment of narcotics loaded in several vehicles heading towards Iran to cross the border, embarked on reconnaissance operation in the region."

He added, "The guards, within the framework of several operational and logistic teams, found out the exact location from which the gang had planned to cross the border." 

Two traffickers were arrested, two vehicles were seized and a sum of 500 kg narcotics was discovered in the operation, he explained.  

The local border commander said that a large quantity of firearms and ammunition were also seized in the ambush. 

Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking. The drugs are mainly destined to lucrative markets in Europe and Persian Gulf Arab states.

Molashahi said Iran has so far lost 3,800 forces in the fight against drug smuggling.

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.

The Iranian anti-narcotic police have always staged periodic operations against drug traffickers and dealers, but reports - which among others indicate an improved and systematic dissemination of information - reveal that the world's most forefront and dedicated anti-narcotic force (as UN drug-campaign assessments put it) has embarked on a long-term countrywide plan to crack down on the drug trade since more than a decade ago.

Also, in April, Iranian Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari described Iran as a pioneering state in campaign against drug trafficking. He said, "We have declared our information and needs to the international organizations and I should say that we have not pinned hope on their aid."

"We do not have hope that the international organizations can seriously confront" the cultivation and production of narcotics in Afghanistan, General Ashtari said.

In mid-September the Iranian president’s chief of staff called on Europeans to increase assistance to Iran in fighting drugs to prevent traffic of drugs to their countries.  Mahmoud Vaezi said the U.S. sanctions have left impacts on Tehran’s budget to fight against narcotics.
“The European states cannot sit still and issue statements to appreciate Iran and say that fighting drugs is Iran’s responsibility; they must certainly help Iran,” Vaezi said.
MJ/PA