Iran's War on Narcotics: Police Seize Large amounts of Narcotics in Northern Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian anti-narcotics police squads have discovered and seized a large volume of different types of illicit drugs in the country's Northern province of Gilan during the first four months of the current Iranian year.
"818kg of different types of narcotics has been seized in the province from the beginning of the (Iranian) year (March 21) to the end of Tir (July 22)," Commander of Gilan Anti-Drug Police Forces Mohammad Hossein Kargarnia told FNA on Monday.

He added that the seizures include 425.5kg of opium, 294kg of hashish, 10.5kg of heroin and 88kg of different types of narcotics.

The commander added that 455 drug traders and 124 drug-traffickers were arrested by the police during the said period.

Iran is located at the crossroad of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe, and according to the statistical figures released by the UN, it ranks first among the world countries in preventing entry of drugs and decreasing demand for narcotics.

The United Nations credits Iran with the seizure of 85 percent of the opium netted around the world.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian police have lost more than 3700 of their personnel in the country's combat against narcotics.