TEHRAN – Head of the counter-narcotics center said on Saturday that the United Nations has announced that 76 percent of the opium and also 67 percent of morphine produced in the world are discovered in Iran.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Brigadier General Eskandar Momeni also said those convicted of drug-related offenses account almost for 70 percent of prisoners in Iran.

He added the distributors, retailers and drug addicts all belong to a cycle that needs to be addressed altogether, ISNA reported.

Also on Saturday, the anti-narcotics police chief in Yazd said that 189kg of narcotics have been seized in the central province of Yazd.

During an operation in the city of Yazd, police seized the opium which was destined to Tehran, Colonel Ali Afkhami explained. 
 
One smuggler was arrested and has been handed over to the judicial officials, he added.

Over 10 tons of illicit drugs have been confiscated by anti-narcotics police in Yazd province since the start of the year 1398 (March 21, 2019).

Located near Afghanistan which is one of the main sources of opium production in the world, Iran is on the frontline of the fight against drug trafficking.

MH/PA