TEHRAN -- President Mohammad Khatami has appointed Ali Hashemi as the new Head of the Anti-Drug Headquarters to take over from Mohammad Fallah, IRNA reported.

The Iranian president has hailed Hashemi's "commitment, experience and capability", hoping the new anti-drug chief will "succeed on pushing forward objectives of the sacred Islamic system and responsibilities rested with him".

"The importance of the fight against narcotics requires that this issue be addressed with a comprehensive examination, advanced planning and cohesion," Khatami said in his written order to Hashemi.

He also thanked Fallah for his efforts and hoped success for him in his future posts.

Iran lies on the international drugs trade route originating from Afghanistan and Pakistan and stretching as far as the Persian Gulf states, Europe and beyond.

The Islamic Republic has launched a relentless anti-drug campaign since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in which more than 3,100 policemen have lost their lives. Iran's anti-drug campaign costs the country $800 million per year, according to officials.

The country accounts for 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted in the world, according to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

An official said that the Iranian police had seized 112 tons of illicit drugs and arrested 306,000 people on drug-related charges during last Iranian year which ended on March 20, 2002.