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Irans anti-narcotics police chief General Ali Moayedi[/caption]TEHRAN (Tasnim) Irans anti-narcotics police forces have seized 445 tons of different types of illicit drugs in the country over the past 11 months, the Iranian anti-narcotics police chief announced on Saturday.
During the last 11 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2014 - February 19, 2015) and following police measures on campaign against narcotics, 445 tons of different types of illicit drugs were seized in the country, General Ali Moayedi said.
He added that 70 percent of the narcotics were seized in the countrys eastern provinces and regions.
The commander further emphasized that over the said period, police operations to fight illicit drugs have been increased by 163 percent compared to the same period last year.
He went on to say that during the operations, 90 drug smugglers were killed in the clashes with police forces and 2,000 rings involved in drug-trafficking activities were smashed.
In recent decades, Iran has been hit by drug trafficking, mainly because of its 936- kilometer shared border with Afghanistan, which produces more than 90% of the worlds opium.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the Islamic Republic is netting eight times more opium and three times more heroin than all other countries in the world combined.
The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 3,700 Iranian police officers over the past 30 years.
By Tasnim News Agency
