A Police Commander: NATO Organizational Weapons Discovered from Smugglers

Ali Moidi, head of the Anti-Narcotics Police of Iran, stated that most of the weapons seized from smugglers in the east of the country are NATO organizational weapons. According to a report on May 13, 2023, by Tasnim News Agency, Mr. Moidi said, "Drug traffickers today are simultaneously engaged in arms smuggling as well." He added, "More than 1,400 firearms were seized from smugglers in 2014, the majority of which are NATO organizational weapons." NATO forces have had an active military presence in Afghanistan since the U.S. military invasion and the fall of the Taliban in 2003, a presence that is gradually coming to an end. According to previous agreements, NATO's mission in Afghanistan was supposed to conclude at the end of 2016, but it was later agreed that this mission would continue. In recent years, NATO has primarily taken on a training and advisory role, leaving operational execution to Afghan military forces. Despite the gradual withdrawal of NATO and U.S. forces, Afghanistan still faces unrest and the threat of Taliban militants. The head of the Anti-Narcotics Police of the Islamic Republic of Iran further stated, "Our experiences show that these armed drug traffickers are mainly involved in arms and ammunition smuggling alongside drug trafficking." Afghanistan has seen an increase in opium poppy cultivation in recent years and is considered one of the centers of opium production. According to the United Nations, opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 36% in 2013. Based on this report, Afghanistan remains one of the main producers of opium in the world. In this context, the deputy commander of the police denied the cultivation of opium poppy in Iran.