An anti-drug official in Iran announced on October 2 that a total of ten metric tons of narcotics and psychedelic drugs have been confiscated during the last of week of September and 7,725 suspects related to these seizures have been arrested.

Fars news agency quoted Assadollah Hadinezhad, an official of Iran’s anti-drug agency as saying that 10,504 kilograms of banned substances were seized from September 23-30. He said opium constituted 79% of the drugs – a total of 8,309 kilograms., followed by 868 kilograms of hashish and almost 600 kilograms of heroin.

Hadinezhad added that the drugs were seized 1491 separate occasions. This means that most of the drugs were found with relatively small dealers.

Iran has been suffering from a widespread drug addiction problem for more than two decades, despite stringent penalties, including the death penalty for smugglers and dealers.

But critics say that large-quantity smugglers are rarely caught and prosecuted.

Mr. Hadinezhad disclosed that 75% of the drugs were seized in six provinces, with the southeastern province of Kerman at the top, with 1,670 kilograms.

Most of the drugs, especially opium enter Iran from Afghanistan and Kerman lies on of the most commonly used routes to transport the drugs to other parts of the country.

Other provinces were the southcentral province of Fars, Sistan-Baluchistan, Esfahan, Hormozgan and Tehran; all located in central. Southern and southeastern parts of the country.

Iranian officials announce drug seizures almost on daily basis. Recently, customs at Hormozgan announced that 7 million psychedelic pills were seized, entering the country via a port, shipped “from an Asian country”.