Despite an annual investment of $400 million to stop the flow of illicit drugs across its borders, Iran seized 37 tons of narcotics last year, as compared to a 10-ton seizure in all of Europe, the Secretary of the Anti-Drug Headquarters of Iran, Mohammed Fallah, said this afternoon. He was speaking at a Headquarters press conference to clarify the magnitude of problems faced by a transit country victimized by drug traffickers.
As part of the region known as the Golden Crescent, Iran was caught between drug production on the east in Afghanistan, and drug export on the west by Turkey into Europe, Mr. Fallah said. Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, had described Iran's efforts as "more than its fair share". Yet, the flow of illicit drugs in response to heavy demand was unable to be stemmed. Transit of illicit drugs across innocent victim nations could not be curtailed single- handedly.
Afghanistan was a country of 20 million people, at war for 20 years, he said. It had no central government, just groups fighting each other and needing money for arms and communication capabilities. It had no universities and no economic connections to the rest of the world, particularly in terms of transportation. It was cut off from the sea and it had no airports or railroads. Drugs, wheat and corn were its major exports. Most families with seven or eight members earned less than $500 a year total.
Afghanistan was a poor country with a primitive way of life, but the people were hard working and patient. They walked up to 50 kilometres a day to transport the drugs to meet the great demand, especially since precursors were introduced to convert opium into heroin. At present, heroin was sold in Afghanistan at a price of $500 to $600 a kilogram in a very pure form. That brought a very high price in Europe in a less pure form. Iran was the most suitable path for transport of drugs from Afghanistan to Turkey. According to Interpol, Turkey had the highest arrest record of drug smugglers into Europe.
To date, Iran had spent $560 million to fortify its common border with Afghanistan against the flow of drugs, he said. Thirty thousand soldiers were stationed there. Last year, 100 soldiers and a total of 2,500 people lost their lives related to drug trafficking activities. All of Iran's efforts were not enough. The area needed international help. Afghanistan needed a crop-replacement programme.
Iran Press Conference - 2 - 9 June 1998
In response to a question from a journalist regarding support received in the effort from the United Nations or its agencies, Mr. Fallah said the United Nations commitment depended on its Member countries. Over the last three to four years, the United Nations had begun paying attention to the region and had announced it as a cancerous spot to the world. Publicity for the problem was a success, but the attention was not financial. A regional treaty with Pakistan brokered by the United Nations four years earlier had yielded $13,700,000 for the joint border effort. Iran's costs were much more, but bringing attention to the problem gave hope for the future.
Asked if there were plans to coordinate any money received for the effort to help the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mr. Fallah said most United Nations plans depended on developments. Iran was waiting to see how United Nations plans in Afghanistan worked out. Part of the plan was to decrease drug traffic by surrounding the Afghanistan borders. The plan was being pursued through organizations and agencies.
Production of drugs would be much higher in Afghanistan without Iran's campaign, Mr. Fallah said in response to another question. Also, the drug traffic was causing an increase of drug use in Iran, which had dropped down from $2 million after eradication of drug production in Iran following the cultural revolution 20 years before. Finally, asked whether the Turkish mafia organizations were to blame for the drug trafficking across Iran, Mr. Fallah said the statistics about mafia organizations in Turkey came from Interpol. There was no well-defined cooperative plan between Iran and Turkey for managing the problem, and it was known that most narcotics entering Iran ended up in Turkey. Judiciary cooperation and extradition agreements would benefit everyone, including consumer countries.
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