Iran's police have killed four armed drug traffickers and arrested 22 others in the southern province of Kerman Wednesday, reported the Iranian News Agency (IRNA).
Kerman police chief, told IRNA that 582 kilograms of narcotics, 12 assault rifles, and several rounds of ammunition were also nabbed following the shoot-outs.
Iran is a major transit route for drugs from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the West.
Last July, the Iranian authorities started constructing outposts with electronic monitoring devices along the 945-kilometer border with Afghanistan.
A budget of 25 million dollars has been allocated for the project, said the agency.
Last month, Secretary-General of Iran's Anti-Drug Headquarters Mohammad Fallah said that 3,000 Iranian police officers had been killed in drug-related battles throughout the country since 1981.
In 1999, 740 drug dealers were killed and 174 Iranian police officers lost their lives in clashes with armed smugglers in various parts of the country – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
