Iran’s Police Arrest Drug Kingpin in Southeastern Province
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian police forces in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan have arrested the ringleader of an international drug trafficking gang, the provincial deputy police chief announced.
Following a complicated operation by the police forces in the province, the ringleader of an international drug trafficking gang was arrested, Colonel Gholamreza Jafari said on Sunday.
The police operational units managed to detain the outlaw in a surprise attack on Saturday night after identifying his whereabouts in the city of Iranshahr following extensive intelligence measures, he added.
The criminal had been involved in mega drug-transiting activities across the region, Colonel Jafari said, adding that the gang leader has been involved in smuggling “more than 20 tons of narcotics” in recent years.
Iran, which has a 900-kilometer common border with Afghanistan, has been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.
Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past three decades.
The country has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.
The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past 35 years.
