Thursday, July 2, 2015 12:43:20 PM

Drug trafficking represents a major challenge for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The geographical location of the country, particularly its porous 1,923 km-long Eastern border with Afghanistan - the world's largest illicit opium producer - and Pakistan, has turned it into a major transit country for illicit drugs. In response to this challenge, the country has built one of the strongest counter-narcotics enforcement capabilities in the region over the years. According to the UNODC World Drug Report 2014, Iran accounted for 74% of the world's opium seizures and 25% of the world's heroin and morphine seizures in 2012, as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said.

Iran's Center for Combating Narcotics official announced during World Day against Drugs anniversary that 506 tons of various drug seized, and at least 150 websites which involved with drug dealing recognized and the trafficking groups shattered in 2014.

According to the governmental news agency Fars report, more than 2.200 operations were carried out combating against drug dealers by Iran's Center for Combating Narcotics that at least 506 tons drug including 13.5 tons Heroin and 12.5 tons Morphine Seized and destroyed regarding to the reports.

Officials have also scrunched more than 2.770 trafficker groups and more than 330 laboratories known "kitchen" (in Persian Ashpazkhaneh) where has allegedly breed "crystal meth" (methamphetamine) closed as officials claimed.

So far, the reports in 2015 cited that more than 305 tons drug including nine tons Heroin seized in the first six months in the year and at least 685 operations carried out during April, May and June in 2015 that totally 150 tons drug including two million unallowable tablets, syringes and injection drugs and 17 million tons precursors of drug confiscated by officials.

Moreover, officials have also arrested more than 66 thousands and seized 191 combat equipment according to the news received by BCR Group.

"Iran lies directly in the path of the world's largest flow of heroin. Finished heroin, partially refined heroin in the form of morphine or raw opium leave Afghanistan and enter Iran -- an estimated 140 metric tons a year of it. Only about 23 percent of it is seized each year, or 32 mt. Most of the remainder enters Turkey and then travels through the Balkans on its way to Europe. As of 2008, half of the world's seizures of heroin occurred in either Turkey or Iran" Narconon Drug Information Department said.

UN: 852 people were reportedly condemned to death penalty in the Islamic Republic between 2013-2014, whereas, Iran says that 93 percent of executions is for drug-related crimes.

By: Kaveh Taheri