1.2 Tons of Opium Seized in Iran

Anti-narcotics police forces have seized more than 1.2 tons of opium in the southern province of Bushehr, Brigadier General Khalil Va’ezi, announced. In two separate operations in the port cities of Kangan and Asalouyeh, a total of 1,221 kilograms of opium were sized and members of the gangs were arrested, Mer News Agency reported. Despite high economic and human costs, Iran has been actively fighting the criminal drug syndicates over the past three decades. The country has spent more than $700 million on sealing borders and preventing the transit of largely Afghan narcotics destined for markets in Europe and beyond.