Mohammad Masoud Zahidian, the deputy head of Iran’s anti-narcotics headquarters, says that drug smuggling has increased from the country’s soil.
ISNA news agency, citing Mr. Zahidian reports that the reason for the increase in drug trafficking is the route activation from the southern regions of Afghanistan.
According to Zahidian, through this route, drugs are transported from the Oman Sea to the Persian Gulf and enter Iran’s land borders.
He added: “In 2022, more than 220,000 hectares of Afghanistan’s agricultural land have been used for poppy cultivation, and 76% of this cultivation is located in the provinces near the borders of Iran.”
Previously, Indian, Russian and Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about the increase in drug cultivation, production and trafficking in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban.