"Iran should not be alone in fight against drug trafficking"

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi made the remarks in a meeting with ambassadors of more than 65 countries and representatives of international organizations residing in Tehran on Wednesday.

Ahmad Vahidi underlined that Iran’s policy is to have forward-looking relations and engagement with all countries. 

He further noted that Iran’s Interior Ministry is dealing with different challenges in maintaining order and security of the country which rise from drug trafficking, massive influxes of immigrants, organized crimes, and terrorist activities.

Pointing to the fact that Iran has sacrificed more than 3,800 martyrs and more than 12,000 handicapped in the fight against drug trafficking, the interior minister added during the last year period, 90% of the total opium, 72% of total morphine and 20% of the heroine discovered and seized in the world have taken place in Iran.

Stating that after the US invasion of Afghanistan narcotics production level multiplied in the past 20 years, Vahidi said that since the increase in narcotics production and exports took place under the US occupation of Afghanistan, they should be held to account for the issue.

Blasting the inaction and indifference of some countries in the fight against drug trafficking, he added that if Iran hadn’t stopped drug trafficking, Europe and other countries undoubtedly would suffer now.

Vahidi further pointed out that Iran should not be the only country that bears the responsibility of fight against narcotics and other countries should assist it in the struggle.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the interior minister pointed to the rank of Iran sheltering and hosting the immigrants as the second country in the world and said that currently there are 3.5 million Afghan immigrants living in Iran.

Vahidi pointed out that the assistance provided by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Iran is a little and ignorable.

He emphasized the need to exchange information in the field of smuggling, fight against narcotics and immigration among countries and suggested that all countries need to cooperate to overcome these challenges.

In an apparent reference to gatherings in European countries and the United States organized by the MKO terrorist organization, the interior minister stressed that those countries should abandon their double standards. 

He called for a collective denounce of the western countries' double standards and their support for terrorist groups. 

JB/5348643