DRAFT COUNTRY PROFILE 1998

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

I.    Production and Cultivation

            According to the Iranian authorities, after the Islamic revolution of 1979 there have no illicit cultivation and production of narcotic drugs in the country.

II.  Illicit Drug Trafficking

        Iran is the shortest land drug trafficking route connecting Asia and Europe. So called “Western” direction, one of the most frequently used routes is bringing Afghan opiates (i.e. heroin and morphine) across the Pakistan-Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan-Iran borders into the country and further on to Turkey and then to Europe. The more recent “northern” direction is supplied either directly from Afghanistan or via Iran, through Turkmenistan. The predominant means of transportation of opiates via the “western” direction remains the land route, although there has been an escalation of drug trafficking by mail in Iran. A comparative study in discoveries, methods of discovery and seizures in 1998 by Iranian law enforcement forces is indicative of the followings:

a)      Increase in volume of opium, heroin, and morphine trafficked from Afghanistan and Pakistan, comparing to the previous years;

b)      Greater activity of eastern border residing tribes in drug trafficking;

c)      Illegal carriage and trafficking of acetic anhydride through Central Asian countries to producing centers in Afghanistan;

d)      Boost of foreign nationals’ activities in carriage and transit of drugs.

III.             Fight Against Illicit Drugs

            Khatami, President of Iran called the drug problem “a crisis and threat to national security”. Iran is considered as the key transit route for the transportation of drugs from Afghanistan to Europe and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. Iran pursues an aggressive border interdiction effort – 780 million US$ spent on erecting blockades and fortifications along the 1925 kms border with Afghanistan and Pakistan and 30,000 law enforcement forces regularly deployed along those borders. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, 2635 personnel have been killed in clashes with drug smugglers.

            The laws of Iran stipulate the death penalty for possession of more than 30 grams of heroine or 5 kg of opium. Two thirds of 155,000 prisoners in Iran are those convicted of drug trafficking. 91,000 prisoners are now serving their prison terms due to conviction on dug-related charges.* 2993 foreign nationals have been arrested in 1998, 1446 persons more than in 1997. There are 3981 foreign nationals inmates on charges of drug crimes in prisons of Iran (Dec.1998).

            In 1998 Iranian law enforcement forces seized 194,264 kg of drugs, including 154,454 kg of opium (79,5%), 22,291 kg of morphine (11,5%), 14,376 kg of hashish (7,5%), 2,894 kg of heroine (1,5%). Morphine seizures are generally made on the western or eastern border whereas opium seizures are usually made deep inside the country. In 1998, the Iranian law enforcement agencies dismantled 1542 trafficking gangs involved in the illegal drug business.

            Iran has budgeted $120 million to fight drug trafficking for the twelve months in 1999 and 2000. Iran is considering drafting a law against money-laundering that is in accordance with the 1988 Convention.

IV.              Bilateral/Multilateral International Cooperation

1.      UN Projects:

    1)      A project for rapid situation assessment of drug abuse in Iran was concluded between UNDCP and Iran in April 1998.

2)      Second phase of three and half years’ Project for strengthening law enforcement capacities in border areas of South West Asian Region, i.e. eastern part of Iran – Pakistan common border toward China (Pakistan part of project) and toward north to Turkmenistan (Iran part of project).

3)      Through UNDCP assistance, a seminar for training Iranian judges in drug control rules and regulations was held in Tehran, in December 1998.

 

4)      In January 1999 Iran and UNDCP signed an agreement to expand UN-Iranian cooperation, including opening a UNDCP office in Tehran.

 

5)      In April 1999 a UNDCP meeting on “Civilizations Countering the World Drug Problem” was held in Tehran.

        Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), as well as bilateral and multilateral agreements, have so far been inked with regional countries to combat drug and psychotropic substances production and smuggling.

V.                Treatment and Rehabilitation

1.     Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers

        The number of addicts stands at almost 2 million. There were 17265 officially registered addicts in rehabilitation centers (March 1997 - September 1998), 70 percent of them married and 2% of all addicts - females. Some 30,000 people are treated per year. Some 34 percent of divorce cases in Iran are addiction related. The latest statistics by the civil status registration organization show that the divorce rate in 1998 - 1999 in Iran increased by 47 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.** According to official figures, the number of HIV-positive patients in Iran stands at 1,447.**

        In Iran, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts take place in 12 rehabilitation centers and 33 outpatient centers. There are two kinds of treatments:

a)      Pharmaceutical treatment, when the addict is treated by using medicine usually from one to two weeks.

b)      Non-Pharmaceutical treatment may be:

(i)     group therapy – i.e. after finishing the phase of pharmaceutical treatment, the addict is tested for morphine addiction and if it were negative, he/she would be allowed to attend in group therapy classes.

(ii)    Family therapy – i.e. one or few members of the addicts’ families attend therapy sessions.

2.         Non-Governmental Organizations

        In 1998, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran continued to encourage the establishment of non-governmental organizations and institutes for participation in enlightening and promoting public knowledge on vices of addiction as well as preventing and care of it.

        Thus, some NGOs such as Aftab (Sun) Society, Organization for Supporting Prisoners, etc. were founded with defined objectives and policies. Society for Campaign against Addiction has been established in 1998. This organization is following up its strategies for reduction of supply and demand, prevention, education and protection of families and establishment of clinics and research centers.

        800 hectares of Mahidasht area (Kermanshah Province) has been earmarked for the rehabilitation and treatment of the addicts and construction activities will start soon. The sum of 8 billion Rials has been allocated to this purpose.

3.         Cultural Activities

        In 1998 Drug Control HQ of Iran launched a series of cultural-promotional activities, including communicating with national press, National Radio and Television, advertising in cities, publishing news and analytical bulletins.

V.         Miscellaneous: Arrest and Seizure Data

            More than 170 tons of narcotics have been seized from drug traffickers from March 1998 to March 1999. 82 tons of narcotics have been discovered and confiscated from April to September 1999. The amount of drugs seized during that period compared to the same period a year ago had risen to 22 thousand tons. 2,669 law enforcement personnel were martyred from March 1998 to March 1999.

            During one month (from 23 July 1999 to 23 August 1999) enforcement agencies of Iran seized 15,876 kg of drugs, including 13,222 kg of opium, 1,726 kg of hashish, 683 kg of morphine and 160 kg of heroine. In the same period, 17 anti-drug personnel were martyred in armed clashes with drug traffickers.

        On October 10, 1999 63 kg of morphine concealed in a “Jeep” and headed to Europe were seized in Khorasan Province. On October 13, 1999 the police force of Sistan and Baluchistan provinces seized 410 kg of opium. On October 30, 1999 540 kg of opium and 64 kg of morphine were seized in Khorasan Province.

On November 3, 1999 after several hours of heavy-armed confrontation with drug smugglers 36 Iranian law enforcement personnel were martyred and 5 others wounded. Over 3,5 tons of morphine base were burned out during this combat. In the first decade of November a total amount of 3316 kg of morphine and opium (destined for Turkish border) were seized and an estimated amount of 2500 kg of opium were burned out in the conflicts.

At the end of November 1999, police forces of Kerman seized 175 kg of morphine from a TIR truck of Afghan origin destined for Europe. The law enforcement forces of Khorasan seized 271 kg of morphine and 2,5 kg of opium and also arrested a number of Afghan drug traffickers.***

SOURCES AND/OR BASIS OF CALCULATION:

*         As reported by Bakhtiari, Head of the Prisons Organizations,

        Iran News, 30 October 1999.

**     Iran Daily 27 June 1999.

***    As reported by International Relations Office of the Drug Control

        Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 REFERENCES:

1.      Drug Control Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, “Anti-Drug

         Efforts of  Iran” and “Statistical Report on drug control”, 1998.

2.      Summary Record of the Joint ECO-UNDCP Legal Training Workshop,

         Tehran, 1-5 March, 1999.

3.      UN ODCCP, "Global illicit drug trends", 1999.

4.      INCB, Report 1998.

5.      "Southwest Asia". INCSR 1999.US Government

6.      "The Times of Central Asia", 1999.

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