TEHRAN – Sistan-Balouchestan’s police forces have seized 1.5 tons of opium in Zahedan city, according to provincial police chief Mohammad Ghanbari.

Ghanbari said the drug consignment was seized at a midnight battle between the antinarcotics forces and a gang trying to smuggle the drugs into Zahedan, Mehr reported on Sunday.

He added that during the encounter two offenders were detained and 1.5 tons of opium, some weapons, including two hunting weapons, 136 cartridges and a colt, were seized.

The commander also said that investigations for arresting other members of the gang are underway.

Iran has been actively fighting drug trafficking over the past four decades, despite its high economic and human costs. The war on drug trafficking originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past decades. 

The Islamic Republic has spent more than hundreds of millions of dollars on sealing its borders to prevent the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

MH/PA