Iranian Government Focuses on Afghan Drug Stockpile
The stockpile of illicit drugs maintained in Afghanistan is a growing problem. Iran’s Law Enforcement Police General Hamid Reza Hossein-Abadi warned there could be devastating consequences as a result.
In an English Fars News report, Hossein-Abadi pointed to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which mentioned that 12,000 tons of illicit drugs have already been stockpiled.
"Given an additional production of another 6,900 tons of illicit drugs (in Afghanistan), we will certainly be faced with a fully dangerous situation, specially in the region," Hossein-Abadi said.
The remarks were made at a round table in Tehran. The point of the discussion was to review ways to prevent, treat, comfort and decrease vulnerability to addiction and to effectively rehabilitate addicts.
Hossein-Abadi reminded the round table group that those countries used as a transit route for drug trafficking are facing a significant hazard. As Iran les beside the largest producer of opium poppy in the world, Iran is facing much greater danger than surrounding states.
He also highlighted that Iranian police have been successful in discovering illicit drugs and more than two-thirds of Afghan opium transit is discovered in Iran. The anti-squad police squads have discovered 50 tons of drugs at the country’s borders during the last 11 months.
According to international standards, police tend to discover only 10 percent of drug cargoes moving through an area. In Iran, police forces have discovered volumes that are three times more than what is accepted as the norm internationally.
The Iranian government spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year to erect barriers along the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. It also continues to pump resources into checkpoints. These efforts, in addition to the battle against drug addiction, cost the Iranian government $1 billion a year.
