Iran to use UAVs to secure borders

Iran's police chief says the country plans to equip all border areas with domestic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within the next few months, Press TV reported.

Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam told reports in Tehran on Sunday that nine remote-controlled drones have already been purchased, and ten others will be bought in near future.

The commander added that police aviation personnel were receiving training to operate the drones.

He stressed that the drones are to carry out reconnaissance missions in the desert areas of eastern Iran near the border with Afghanistan, as part of Iran's campaign against narcotics and drug-trafficking.

The poppy cultivation and illicit drug trade in Afghanistan has come at a heavy cost to neighboring Iran.

With a 900-kilometer (560-mile) common border with Afghanistan, Iran has been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.

The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 3,700 Iranian police officers over the past 30 years.

Iran has spent more than USD700 millions to seal its borders and prevent the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

Tehran has called on the United Nations and the European countries to support the anti-narcotics measures of the Islamic Republic.


/Trend/