TEHRAN - The deputy prosecutor-general announced on Wednesday that a hefty amount of seized chemicals that are used by the illicit drug producers in Iran have been produced in Europe.

“We are pleased with our neighbors, but we do not have a similar feelings towards the Europeans,” said Saeed Omrani, the deputy prosecutor-general for a campaign against illicit drugs and organized crimes.

Speaking in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart and his accompanying delegation, Omrani said, “Today, whenever we seize chemicals for making illicit drugs, we realize that they have been originally produced in Europe.”  

“Iran is a neighbor to one of the largest drug-producing countries (Afghanistan) whose drug producers, under the umbrella of coalition forces, have increased their drug production from 200 tons up to 10,000 tons. Unfortunately, over 90 percent of the produced drugs (in Afghanistan) are being transited via Iran (to other countries),” Omrani explained. 

“Nowadays, we face some drug traffickers that use drones for sending their drugs, however, we have thus far been remarkably successful. We have arrested a notorious drug trafficker known as the Gulf Crocodile whose financial transaction was estimated at 28,000 billion tomans,” the official added.  

In the open market, each U.S. dollar values almost 12,700 tomans.

Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking and thousands of Iranian police forces have been so far martyred to protect the world from the danger of drugs.

Iran has lost 3,800 forces during the fight against drug smuggling so far, he noted.

According to reports, in 2018 alone, Iranian forces carried out 1,557 operations against drug traffickers, seizing approximately 807 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The Iranian anti-narcotics police have always staged periodic operations against drug traffickers and dealers, but reports - which among others indicate an improved and systematic dissemination of information - reveal that the world's most forefront and dedicated anti-narcotic force (as UN drug-campaign assessments put it) has embarked on a long-term countrywide plan to crack down on the drug trade since more than a decade ago.

MJ/PA