Iran Burns 60 Tons Of Narcotics

Sixty tons of narcotics go up in flames in Tehran (epa) June 26, 2006 -- Police in Tehran have set ablaze 60 tons of illicit drugs. The bulk of the drugs were opium and morphine.

The country's police chief, General Ismail Ahmadi-Moqaddam, said nearly 300 tons of drugs had been confiscated and more than 370 traffickers arrested between March 2005 and March 2006.

Iran is a key transit country for drugs en route from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Europe.

(dpa)

Iran's Drug Problem

Iran's Drug Problem

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DRUG USE ON THE RISE: The Iranian approach to drug control is very relevant to the rest of the world, because Iran's neighbor, Afghanistan, is the world's leading producer of opium. Iran leads the international community in global opium seizure rates and it is second to Pakistan in opiate seizures, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Iran also leads the world in the prevalence of drug abuse (2.8 percent of the population aged 15 or older), according to the UNODC.(more)

See also:

Iran: Country's Drug Problems Appear To Be Worsening

New Ways Considered For Tackling Growing Drug Use Among Young Iranians

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