Iran annually spends $800 mln on combating drug

Iran annually spends $800 million to fight drug trafficking. Just in 2010, $600 million were spent to close the country's eastern borders against drug penetration, IRNA news agency quotes the head of department of the Iranian Organization for Combating Drug Trafficking Muhammad Masood Zahidian, as saying.

Zahidian said international organizations allocate insignificant funds to Iran - a total of about $15 million to fight drug trafficking.

An average of 600 tons of drug was seized annually from smugglers over the last five years, he said.

"Opium and heroin accounts for 75 percent of all drug seized. More than 4,000 police officers were killed, 12,000 police officers were injured in the fight against drug trafficking and drug traffickers," Zahidian said.

Iran is located in a transit corridor between Afghanistan, which produces producing raw opium, and its customers in Europe. Iran's government sent thousands of security officers to the east of the country and constructed over 1,000 km of canals, walls and other barriers to block drug penetration into the country.

According to the UN World Drug Report, a border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan has become one of the most free trade zones for arms and drugs, as well as illegal migration.


/Trend/