Iran’s anti-narcotics chief warns of rising industrial drug production in Afghanistan

During his visit to Mashhad, neighboring Afghanistan, Eskandar Momeni emphasized a strategic policy focusing on addiction prevention, supply combat, and coordinated addiction treatment efforts.

Highlighting the nation’s priority on preventive measures due to the absence of a clear global strategy to curtail drug production, Momeni disputed Taliban claims of reduced drug cultivation.

He stressed the absence of evidence indicating a decline, citing a significant rise in industrial drug production in Afghanistan that “poses a grave threat globally.”

Momeni also acknowledged the sacrifices made in the fight against drugs in the Islamic Republic, citing an 11% increase in drug detections in Khorasan Razavi Province and the loss of 13 agents’ lives this year.

Official figures say more than 4,000 people have died in the fight against drug traffickers in Iran over the past 40 years.