Police Seize 188 Tons of Drugs in 3 Months

The anti-drug squads of Iran’s police force seized more than 188 tons of illicit drugs in different parts of the country since the start of the current Iranian year (March 21). Anti-Narcotics Police Chief Brigadier General Mohammad Massoud Zahedian said Sunday the contraband were mostly opium and a considerable amount of heroin and morphine, Fars News Agency reported. Most of the drugs were seized in eastern regions. He added that 106 smugglers involved in narcotics production and distribution rings have also arrested. Pakistan and Afghanistan are two main conduits for illicit drugs. Iranian police officials maintain that drug production in Afghanistan has increased 40-fold since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001. Afghan and western officials blame Washington and NATO for the huge increase, saying that the western allies “overlooked” the worsening drug scourge after invading the country more than 16 years ago.