Iran Warns of Sharp Growth of Drug Trafficking in Region

Iran’s Judiciary Spokesman and Prosecutor-General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeii warned of the growing trend of drug trafficking in the region, and asked the regional states to take effective measures to fight the phenomenon.

“The volume of drug trafficking has increased in the region,” Mohseni Ejeii said in a meeting with Armenian Prosecutor General Aqvan Hovsepyan in Yerevan on Wednesday.

“It’s necessary to launch effective measure to fight against it,” he added.

In relevant remarks late 2012, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar called for exchange of intelligence among the regional countries in the war on drug-trafficking.

“Strengthening the intelligence exchanging systems among the countries of the region is an activity that can result in restricting drug-trafficking networks,” Mohammad Najjar, who is also Secretary-General of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, said addressing the closing session of a regional conference on campaign against narcotics.

He added that Iran has made “effective efforts” to strengthen and develop cooperation and coordination among countries to implement the agreed plans in the campaign against drug trafficking.

Iran, located at the crossroad of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe leads international efforts in fighting drug networks and narcotic traffickers.

The Iranian police measures along the country’s Eastern borders have forced drug-traffickers to resort to other routes, including the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, to smuggle their drug cargos which originate in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to the statistical figures released by the UN, Iran ranks first among the world countries in preventing entry of drugs and decreasing demand for narcotics.

The anti-drug squads of the Iranian Law Enforcement Police have intensified their countrywide campaign against drug-trafficking through staging long-term systematic operations since last two years.