Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of Interior stated that the production of drugs in Afghanistan saw a 17 percent increase this year due to US complicity.

MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik)�� The production of�drugs in�Afghanistan�saw a 17 percent increase this year due to�US complicity, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of�Interior said on�Monday.
"The planting of�narcotics in�Afghanistan saw a 17 percent this year, meaning that the US's efforts in�the country do not control this process, but�also led to�increased production [of drugs]," Fazli said during�his meeting with�the head of�Russia's Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov.

Fazli stated that drug dealers and smugglers support political and religious extremism in�the country and expressed his regret over�the lack of�aid to�Iran from�the European Union.

During the meeting the two sides discussed the results of�their cooperation and devised new methods to�subvert the illegal�drug industry.

Russian Federal Drug Control Service has been cooperating with�its Iranian counterpart since�signing a memorandum on�cooperation in�combating trafficking of�illegal drugs in�2005.

Effectiveness of�the�Russian-Iranian cooperation�can be demonstrated by�the "Clean Caspian" operations. Conducted in�2011 and 2014, they were aimed at�interrupting drug smuggling channels within�the Caspian Basin. Russia and Iran also cooperate as�parts of�the Caspian Anti-Drug 5 group, comprising of�Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, aimed at�development of�anti-drug policies in�the Caspian region.

By Sputnik News

 

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