Azerbaijan, Baku, July 12 /Trend/
Iran's anti-drug police seized 112 tons of narcotics during the first three months of the current year (started on March 20, 2011) and arrested 75,000 people suspected of smuggling narcotics, Mehr News Agency reported quoting head of anti-drug police Hamidreza Hosseinabadi as saying.
"The police officers seized 112 tons of narcotics including 87 ton opium, 6 tons of heroin, 15 tons of hashish and arrested 75,000 people in this regard," he said.
The police confiscated more than 40 tons on Sistan border in the current year (started on March20, 2011) what indicate 90 percent growth.
Police sized more than 4 kilograms narcotics at the country's airport in the first three months of the year and closed 30 homegrown laboratories.
The cooperation of Iran's anti-drug police with south Asian countries police forces has led to arrest of drug smuggling groups.
Iran is on a crossroad of international drug transit route linking the world drug hub, Afghanistan, to the Persian Gulf and European countries.
Iran spends billions of dollars and has lost thousands of its police troops in the war against traffickers. Iran also adopted measures to strengthen border security and block the entry of terrorists and drug traffickers into the country.
Strategies pursued by Tehran include digging canals, building barriers and installing barbed wire to seal its borders.
Due to these and similar measures adopted by Iran's law enforcement police, the country makes 89 percent of the world's total opium seizures, although the battle against drug-traffickers has inflicted a rather heavy human loss on the country's police squad. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country has lost more than 3700 of its security forces in its war on drug-traffickers.