TEHRAN – Anti-narcotics police and law enforcement experts and officers from the Drug Control Headquarters participated in a three-day study visit organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) office in Iran from December 4-6, 2023, in Tashkent – Uzbekistan.

UNODC in Iran has been actively present in the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1999 and considers Iran as one of the strategic partners for drug control and crime prevention in the region. It has been supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran by providing technical assistance and training for years ever since its establishment, the UN website announced in a press release on January 3.

The comprehensive curriculum of this study visit encompassed various activities and topics, inter alia session on “Construction and structure of an optimal canine center, management of an optimal canine center; staffing of an optimal canine center; breeding, health, treatment, food, etc. for drug-detecting dogs”, the report added.

The theoretical courses including different lectures and seminars, were complemented by practical training.

The attendees learned about the specific ways of training and dealing with working dogs. They also acquired needed practical knowledge for managing kennels.

According to the report, the members of the Iranian delegation visited the veterinary ward and had the opportunity to directly ask their questions from the specialized medical staff. The head of the medical center provided the delegation with pertinent information and answered questions regarding structure, staffing, equipment, and other technical aspects of the management of the veterinary ward. 

At the end of the training and pursuant to the official ceremony at the Regional Customs Canine Centre of Uzbekistan, memorial trees were planted to symbolize enduring fellowship among partners in Iran and Uzbekistan and continuous cooperation in the future.

Highlighting the importance of international cooperation in the fight against narcotics, Alexander Fedulov, the UNODC representative in Tehran, hoped that future activities of a similar nature would continue upon the provision of support by donors.

Global support essential in fight against narcotics

Iran anti-narcotics police chief, Iraj Kakavand, in a meeting with Fedulov, called it essential to support Iran in the fight against drug trafficking.

During the meeting, which was held in October 2023, Fedulov said the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been committed to a serious and decisive fight against narcotics at the regional and global level, IRIB reported.

Iran has spent a huge sum of money fighting the war on drugs, and apart from that, many anti-narcotics forces have sacrificed their lives in this way. The high number of martyrs and injured shows Iran's serious determination to deal with this scourge, the UN official added.

"Considering the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking, the UNODC and the international community support of Iran should be proportionate to the activities and actions at the regional and global level.”

He stated since new smuggling routes and concealment methods are emerging, it is necessary for the anti-narcotics police to be equipped with new detection equipment and tools. Needless to say, the UNODC in Tehran plays a prominent role in providing some of these tools.

Kakavand, for his part, highlighted the need to promote regional cooperation and said, “The Anti-Narcotics Police of Iran has always announced its readiness to collaborate and improve cooperation with all the countries in the region and the world to eradicate narcotics.”

Holding meetings with the anti-narcotics police of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the form of a tripartite initiative in previous years is a strong proof of this claim, he noted.

Iran dealing with narcotics

Iran is known as the first station and the front line of dealing with all kinds of drugs due to its location on the European transit route of Afghan drugs.

During the current Iranian calendar year that started on March 21, 2023,  drug seizures have increased by 21 percent compared to the same period last year.

Since the beginning of the current year, some 470 tons of narcotics have been seized from smugglers all over the country, Mehr News Agency quoted Kakavand as saying.

“We are witnessing a 21-percent rise in seizures of narcotics originating from Afghanistan,” he added.

A large number of smugglers have also been identified and arrested in this regard, Kakavand stressed.

The fight against narcotics is very expensive due to the complexity of the mafia level of this business, a cost that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been paying alone for years despite the support claims of the international community.

On average, more than 90 percent of opium discoveries, 27 percent of heroin discoveries, and 59 percent of morphine discoveries in the world are made by Iran, Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Vienna, said.

Some 716 tons of narcotics were discovered and seized in the past Iranian calendar year (March 2022-March 2023), he added.

The flow of narcotics into Iran has decreased by about 15 percent over the past four years, Eskandar Momeni, the secretary general of the anti-narcotics headquarters, has said.

The impact of dismantling the financial foundations of drug traffickers has increased by about 10 times over the past three to four years, he said, adding “This has led to a decrease of 15 percent in the entry of drugs into Iran.”

“The rising trend of drug production in Afghanistan started about 20 years ago, after the occupation of Afghanistan by NATO and the United States.

Therefore, the smuggling of narcotics has increased almost 50 times, that is, from about 200 tons in 2000 to more than 9,000 tons,” Momeni said, ISNA reported.

In May 2023, Momeni said some 1,700 regional and international drug gangs were dismantled by Iran in the past year.

Momeni signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghada Fathi Waly, the director general of the UNODC on the sidelines of the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) that was held in Vienna from March 13-17.

MT/MG