Iran says growth of illicit drug production in Afghanistan a threat to humanity
Iran says growth of illicit drug production in Afghanistan a threat to humanity
11:01, November 02, 2009 
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A senior Iranian judiciary official on Sunday warned the West, specially European states, about the devastating outcomes of the ongoing growth in the production of illicit drugs in Afghanistan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"Today, the issue of illicit drugs is considered as a threat to humanity, the European countries should not imagine that Iran is the sole victim of narcotics," deputy head of Iran's Judiciary Seyed Ebrahim Rayisee was quoted as saying.
"Definitely, continuation of this situation will take many victims from the youths all across the world, therefore we consider the issue as a threat to humanity," Rayisee told reporters.
Drawing upon the immediate impact of the threat on Iran, he said that Iran is not a producer of narcotics, but it has fallen prey to the international drug cartels which inflict great damages on the country.
"We don't have production of opium in Iran, illicit drugs are mostly imported into Iran via Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said, adding that Iran is "the frontline in the campaign against this devilish phenomenon."
Despite deployment of the U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, drug production has increased in the country, he went on according to the report.
Earlier in October, the United Nations warned in a new report that the smuggling of Afghan opiates is fuelling addiction and drug use along trafficking routes from Iran to Central Asia as well as spreading diseases and funding insurgents.
Iran, Pakistan and Central Asian nations are among the most affected states but the negative impact of the multibillion-dollar Afghan narcotics flow is felt around the world as it continues to spread, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announced.
Iran is located at the crossroad of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, to Europe.
Source: Xinhua
"Today, the issue of illicit drugs is considered as a threat to humanity, the European countries should not imagine that Iran is the sole victim of narcotics," deputy head of Iran's Judiciary Seyed Ebrahim Rayisee was quoted as saying.
"Definitely, continuation of this situation will take many victims from the youths all across the world, therefore we consider the issue as a threat to humanity," Rayisee told reporters.
Drawing upon the immediate impact of the threat on Iran, he said that Iran is not a producer of narcotics, but it has fallen prey to the international drug cartels which inflict great damages on the country.
"We don't have production of opium in Iran, illicit drugs are mostly imported into Iran via Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said, adding that Iran is "the frontline in the campaign against this devilish phenomenon."
Despite deployment of the U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, drug production has increased in the country, he went on according to the report.
Earlier in October, the United Nations warned in a new report that the smuggling of Afghan opiates is fuelling addiction and drug use along trafficking routes from Iran to Central Asia as well as spreading diseases and funding insurgents.
Iran, Pakistan and Central Asian nations are among the most affected states but the negative impact of the multibillion-dollar Afghan narcotics flow is felt around the world as it continues to spread, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announced.
Iran is located at the crossroad of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, to Europe.
Source: Xinhua
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