Over 40 tons of drugs seized in Iran in month
Iran's security forces have seized more than 40.8 metric tons of drugs across the country during the first Iranian calendar month from March 21 to April 21, Assadollah Hadinejad Deputy Head of Iran 's Anti-Drug Headquarters said.
The figure indicates an increase by 22 percent in comparison with the same period of the preceding year, ISNA reported quoting Hadinejad as saying on April 29.
Opium ranks first among the sized drugs, he said, adding that 26.6 metric tons of opium was seized in the one-month period.
Iranian security forces also seized some 12.2 metric tons of hashish as well as 1538 kilograms of heroin, 269 kilograms of morphine and 124 kilograms of methamphetamine from drug traffickers in the period.
Annually about 450 metric tons of opium is consumed in Iran, which is equal to 42 percent of total opium consumption in the world, Rouzbeh Kardouni, the head of Social Vulnerabilities Office at the Iranian Ministry of Cooperatives Labor and Social welfare said last February.
The official further stated that over 1.3 million people suffer drug addiction in Iran.
According to official estimates, the fight against drugs annually cost Iran about $1 billion. It was reported that some 490 metric tons of drugs were seized in the country during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended on March 20).
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