Pubdate: Sun, 01 Jul 2001
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2001 Associated Press

IRAN POLICE KILL 9 DRUG TRAFFICKERS

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Police have carried out a major crackdown on 
drug trafficking and abuse during the past week, arresting 11,892 
addicts and traders, and killing nine traffickers in shootouts, 
Iran's official news agency said Sunday.

Police confiscated 1,949 pounds of drugs in the four-day sweep 
conducted across the nation, the Islamic Republic News Agency said. 
Seven trafficking rings were destroyed.

The secretary general of Iran's anti-drug department, Mohammad 
Fallah, said Iran has 1.2 million drug addicts and another 800,000 
occasional drug users.

Fallah said that 3,111 Iranian police officers and soldiers have been 
killed in clashes with drug traffickers since 1979.

Iran is a major route for smuggling drugs from Afghanistan and 
Pakistan to markets in the Gulf, Europe and beyond. Opium, heroin, 
hashish and morphine are taken across the country. Single busts 
involving a ton or more of drugs are not uncommon.

Last year, Iran erected outposts and an electronically monitored 
fence along the 587-mile border with Afghanistan in an attempt to cut 
down on banditry and drug trafficking.
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