TEHRAN Senior officials from Iran and Pakistan started on Wednesday a two-day meeting in Tehran to deepen counter-narcotics cooperation under the framework of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)-brokered Triangular Initiative.The meeting is part of the series of gatherings foreseen by the Triangular Initiative and aimed at discussing existing drug trafficking threats, regional counter-narcotic strategies, and operational means to improve trilateral cooperation, according to the UNODC website.The Triangular Initiative was launched in 2007 to strengthen cooperation in counter-narcotics law enforcement between the Islamic Republics of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.UNODC serves as its Secretariat; it facilitates the implementation of technical assistance and mobilizes financial support.The initiative has so far helped to forge an unprecedented level of cooperation on drug control between the three countries.Periodic meetings of experts and policy-makers have been facilitated by UNODC since 2007, building trust amongst the three countries' anti-narcotics authorities.At the operational level, a Joint Planning Cell has been established in Tehran for information and intelligence sharing and the implementation of joint operations targeting drug trafficking networks operating in the region.Moreover, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan have identified strategic locations to place Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) at their common borders to improve information exchange and ensure a concerted inter-agency and cross-border response against drugs and precursor trafficking.Some 1,700 regional and international drug gangs were dismantled by Iran in the year 2022, Eskandar Momeni, the secretary general of the Iranian anti-narcotics headquarters, said in May.Iran is located next to Afghanistan, the largest producer of opioids, the second largest producer of cannabis, and recently the producer of glass (methamphetamine), he added.Setting up about 800 coastal checkpoints in the Persian Gulf, strengthening and developing electronic and electro-optical equipment, and installing land-based radars and specialized cameras are among Iran's measures to deal with maritime smuggling, Momeni explained.On the sidelines of the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) that was held in Vienna from March 13-17, Momeni signed a memorandum of understanding with UNODC director general Ghada Fathi Waly.The agreement opens a new chapter in Iran's cooperation with the United Nations in the four areas of dealing with the supply and demand of narcotics, and offering treatment and rehabilitation services, Momeni said, IRIB reported.Since 2017, the Islamic Republic of Iran has succeeded in discovering 5,372 tons of narcotics, he added.Valuable measures to reduce the rate of infectious diseases such as HIV (AIDS) and hepatitis among addicts have been taken.
Setting up healthcare, rehabilitation, and consultation centers, and empowering women and girls in cooperation with the UNODC and UNICEF offices in the cities of Tehran, Kerman, and Kermanshah were among the measures.In February, Momeni said Iran spends about $700 million to $1 billion annually to fight against narcotics.According to the reports of international institutions and organizations, about 92 percent of drug discoveries are made by Iran, he said, adding that the country is completely alone and the cost is borne by the government and the people.Momeni emphasized that the international community should increase support to the Islamic Republic to fight against narcotics, especially to curb trafficking, IRNA reported.A significant part of the financial burden in the field of combating narcotics includes blocking the borders, dealing with smuggling, identifying and monitoring the transit routes, and offering treatment and rehabilitation services.MG