Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, claimed that the production of methamphetamine in Afghanistan has increased significantly, which he considers a threat to Iran, the region, and the world.
Momeni added that closing the border with Afghanistan is part of an effort aimed at preventing illegal entry and drug trafficking.
The Iranian Interior Minister told a group of journalists: “Unfortunately, while traditional narcotics have decreased somewhat, the production of synthetic drugs, which we call methamphetamine or ‘shisha,’ has risen significantly, posing a danger to Iran, the region, and the world.”
The Islamic Emirate has yet to respond to the Iranian Interior Minister’s claim; however, it recently dismissed a United Nations report on the increase of poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan.
Prior to this claim, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate responded to remarks by the head of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Headquarters regarding drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Iran, emphasizing that combating drug trafficking requires bilateral cooperation.
“This is a regional issue, and the efforts made by the Islamic Emirate in this regard have been recognized by the international community and neighboring countries. Now, it is essential that regional countries coordinate with the Islamic Emirate in various areas to address their concerns and eliminate this phenomenon,” Sayed Akbar Sial Wardak, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s Deputy Minister of Counter-Narcotics at the Ministry of Interior stated that synthetic drugs are being trafficked into Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asia. He urged these countries to prevent the entry of synthetic drugs into Afghanistan.