Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, who is on a visit to Moscow, said as Iran and Russia are situated on the drug trafficking route they would benefit from better cooperation for an ever more effective anti-narcotics campaign.
“Today, all the world knows that Iran has taken numerous measures to prevent and fight drug trafficking,” Mohammad-Najjar said, adding that Iran has paid a hefty price in this path.
With a 900-kilometer common border with Afghanistan, Iran has frequently been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.
Iran has spent more than USD700 million to seal the borders and prevent the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.
The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has also claimed the lives of nearly 3,700 Iranian police officers over the past 30 years.
Russia is also a key route for the drugs headed for Europe.
press tv/281
A senior Iranian official says Iran and Russia, which are both located on the drug transit route from Afghanistan to Europe, are planning to step up their cooperation against drug trafficking.
News ID 181411
