Police seize large cargo of narcotics in southeastern Iran

Iran's drug combat squads have seized more than 460kg of narcotics in the Southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan, a police chief announced on Thursday. Lieutenant Commander of Sistan and Balouchestan's Border Guard Forces Mohammad Mollashahi said that his troops clashed with drug traffickers who were possessing firearms, and were carrying the drugs into Iran. Mollashahi said that while patrolling the region, border guards discovered the contraband followed by opening fire by the armed smugglers at the troops. Police forces gave crushing response to them forcing the armed traffickers to escape from the scene and withdraw to the neighboring country, he said. Eastern Iran borders Afghanistan, which is the world's number one opium and drug producer. Iran's geographical position has made the country a favorite transit corridor for drug traffickers who intend to smuggle their cargoes from Afghanistan to drug dealers in Europe. Iran spends billions of dollars and has lost thousands of its police troops in the war against traffickers. Owing to its rigid efforts, Iran makes 81 percent of the world's total opium seizures and has turned into the leading country in drug campaign. Sistan and Balouchestan province, where Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan come together, has porous borders, where bandits and drug traffickers operate despite frequent entanglements and intense efforts of the Iranian law enforcement police. More than 3,720 Iranian security personnel have been killed fighting drug smugglers since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.