Illicit drug consignment seized in S Iran

Hojat al-Islam Seyyed Kazem Mousavi made the announcement on Monday, saying that intelligence forces have confiscated 625 kg of illegal drugs at the entrance of Shiraz.

The consignment consisted of 496 kg of hashish and 129 kg of opium, he added.

Mousavi noted that two smugglers have been arrested in this operation and handed to the judiciary officials.

One truck carrying drugs was also seized, he said.

Based on the United Nations reports, Afghanistan ranks first as the producer of opium and heroin in the world. Iran, being Afghanistan's neighbor, has always been the main route for smuggling narcotics to the Western world.

Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past 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.

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