TEHRAN – Iranian international police chief Majid Karimi has called on the global community and Interpol to support the country in dealing with organized crimes.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been decisive and serious in dealing with various organized crimes in the region and the world, he added.

Karimi made the remarks in a meeting with Jürgen Stock, the secretary-general of Interpol, ISNA reported on Sunday.

The law enforcement force of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always provided its assistance to the police of neighboring countries, but the Taliban have created problems for the Islamic Republic of Iran at the borders, leading to the martyrdom and wounding of several police forces, he stressed.

Alexander Fedulov, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Iran Country Representative, has said Iran should provide other countries of the world with its experiences in dealing with narcotics.

“The successful experiences of Iran’s anti-narcotics police in the field of combating drug transit should be made available to all countries in the region and the world in different ways,” Fedulov added.

He made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran on Sunday with Iraj Kakavand, Iran’s anti-narcotics police chief, IRNA reported.

The international community, while becoming more familiar with the countermeasures of the Islamic Republic of Iran, should provide more support for the fight against narcotics in this country, the UNODC official stressed.

Fedulov referred to the strengthening of the Joint Planning Cell (JPC) and conducting joint activities with other countries in the fight against drug trafficking as effective countermeasures and emphasized the need to boost cooperation.

On June 19, Eskandar Momeni, the secretary general of the Iranian anti-narcotics headquarters, said the flow of narcotics into Iran has decreased by about 15 percent over the past four years.

The impact of dismantling the financial foundations of drug traffickers has increased by about 10 times over the past three to four years, he said, adding “This has led to a decrease of 15 percent in the entry of drugs into Iran.”

“The rising trend of drug production in Afghanistan started about 20 years ago, after the occupation of Afghanistan by NATO and the United States.

Therefore, the smuggling of narcotics has increased almost 50 times, that is, from about 200 tons in 2000 to more than 9,000 tons,” Momeni said, ISNA reported.

In May, Momeni said some 1,700 regional and international drug gangs were dismantled by Iran in the year 2022.

Iran is located next to Afghanistan, the largest producer of opioids, the second largest producer of cannabis, and recently the producer of glass (methamphetamine), he added.

In February, Momeni said Iran spends about $700 million to $1 billion annually to fight against narcotics.

According to the reports of international institutions and organizations, about 92 percent of drug discoveries are made by Iran, he said, adding that the country is completely alone and the cost is borne by the government and the people.

Momeni emphasized that the international community should increase support to the Islamic Republic to fight against narcotics, especially to curb trafficking, IRNA reported.

“A significant part of the financial burden in the field of combating narcotics includes blocking the borders, dealing with smuggling, identifying and monitoring the transit routes, and offering treatment and rehabilitation services.”

“However, Iran has not received any notable help from international organizations until today.”

MG