JIROFT -- police in jiroft city, in the southwestern iranian province of kerman, have seized 400 kilos of opium and 110 kilos of heroin, the provincial police told irna on monday.

the drugs, which were concealed in a truck, were seized during special operations launched by special anti-drug police based in the province.

in related news, special anti-drug police forces seized one ton of narcotics in the first four months of the current iranian calendar year (started march 21, 2002).

likewise, police in the northwestern iranian province of west azarbaijan seized 400 kilos of narcotics and arrested seven bandits suspected of involvement in the drug trade over the same period.

the police also arrested 261 traffickers and distributors in connection with the drugs seized and who were handed over to judicial authorities.

a sizeable amount of arms and ammunition was also confiscated.

in addition, police forces in the southern iranian province of fars seized over 54 kilos of hashish and arrested 10 people on drug-related charges over the last week.

iran accounts for 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted in the world, according to the international narcotics control board.

police forces have seized 112 tons of illegal drugs and arrested 306,000 people on drug-related charges in the last iranian year, which ended march 20, 2002.

the anti-drug campaign costs the country some 800 million dollars per year, according to officials.