TEHRAN — Anti-drugs initiatives implemented by Iran in 2016 brought about a nine percent increase in seizures of illegal drugs compared to the same period last year, interior minister said on Monday.

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli made the remarks in an international conference on cooperation against illicit drugs and related organized crimes here in Tehran with UN Executive Director of Office on Drugs and Crime Yury Fedotov in attendance, IRNA reported.

He further pointed out that the average production of illegal drugs surged by 43 percent in Afghanistan in Dec. 2016 compared to the same period last year.

MQ/PA