Tehran, March 8, IRNA – Secretary of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters Eskandar Momeni said on Sunday that despite lockdown due to corona pandemic, Iran hauled some 1,200 tons of drugs in 2020, up by 41% compared to 2019, indicating Iran's commitment to international obligations.
Speaking in a conference on the achievement of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international anti-narcotics campaign, momeni said that Iran has made great achievements despite a decade of sanctions.
He regretted that despite the fact that anti-narcotic measures began one century ago, the world sees an increasing trend in production, trafficking of illicit drugs, and consumption and it has doubled in the last decade.
"Despite lockdown due to corona pandemic, Iran hauled some 1,200 tons of narcotics in 2020 which shows 41 percent increase compared to 2019," the senior officer said.
Momeni said that about 490 million dollars worth of illegal assets have been seized from drug-traffickers in several operations in which 9 security forces have been martyred and tens of them wounded.
Iran has taken preventive measures, in addition to direct combat, he said, adding that over 70 percent of homeless addicts in Tehran, for example, have been identified, treated and assigned social services jobs in working places involved in producing coronavirus protective equipment.
He stressed that anti-narcotic efforts require collective campaign of all world countries to act like Iran that has been actively involved, dedicating 11 civilian and military organizations to the fight against drugs.
