Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jul 2001
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonSun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135

IRAN ARRESTS THOUSANDS OF ADDICTS

TEHRAN -- Police have carried out a major crackdown on drug trafficking and 
abuse during the past week, arresting 11,892 addicts and traders, and 
killing nine traffickers in shootouts, Iran's official news agency said 
yesterday.

Police confiscated 885 kg of drugs in the four-day sweep conducted across 
the nation, the Islamic Republic News Agency said.

The secretary general of Iran's anti-drug department, Mohammad Fallah, said 
Iran has 1.2 million drug addicts and another 800,000 occasional drug 
users. Fallah said that 3,111 Iranian police officers and soldiers have 
been killed in clashes with traffickers since 1979.
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