In recent days, many Iranians bought illicit narcotics to Malaysia. Although they tried to go through the Malaysian custom checkpoints one after another, the Malaysian Police also managed to arrest them one by one. In response to this problem, Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi pointed out that it was because the market price of illicit narcotics in Southeast Asia was ten times higher than the Middle East and than some of the European countries. Southeast Asia has become the gold mind for illicit narcotic syndicates. This was the main reason why the illicit narcotic dealers would want to come to Malaysia.
The Iranian envoy said that international narcotic trafficking syndicates were very active in carrying out illicit narcotic trafficking in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. He said that this development had made Southeast Asia to become one of the big "narcotic dens" in the world.
When Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi accepted an exclusive interview with the Sin Chew Daily, he pointed out that international narcotic trafficking syndicates would definitely put their own interests as top priority when they considered where to go to get money. Because of the fact that the price of illicit narcotics could fetch a much better price in Southeast Asia than in countries in Europe and in the Middle East, they have created an influx of narcotic smugglers to Southeast Asia. He added: "They are quite active in this region."
Narcotic Trafficking Activities Serious in Malaysia
Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi admitted that the recent narcotic smuggling cases to Malaysia by Iranians were getting more and more serious. Moreover, there was sign of deterioration. He said , although the Malaysian Police had frequently arrested quite a number of illegal narcotic smugglers who were Iranian nationals at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in reality the narcotic trafficking activities engaged by them were much more serious than what we could see from the media.
Statistics have shown that in the past three months or so, at least 70 Iranian illicit narcotic dealers, including men and women, were arrested by the police at Kuala Lumpur Klang Valley and at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The methods used by these the Iranian narcotic traffickers in trying to bring in illicit narcotics to Malaysia were diversified and endless. Toward the end of February, the Malaysian Police have already arrested 50 Iranian narcotic traffickers (47 are men and three are women) and seized 55.133 kg of ice (crystal methamphetamine), 6.9 kg of liquid ice, and 4 kg of cocaine.
Malaysian, Iranian Police Strengthen Cooperation To Combat Narcotic Trafficking Activities in Country
Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi said that the aforementioned narcotic trafficking activities carried out by Iranians did not affect the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Iran. Instead the narcotic trafficking problem in Malaysia has further strengthened the cooperation between the police task force in both countries.
Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi disclosed that that the police authority in Iran has already worked very closely with the Malaysian enforcement agencies, including the police, custom department, and the Malaysian Anti-Narcotic Task Force to fight against the narcotic trafficking activities. He said that the coordination and the exchange of intelligence between the two countries had reaped considerable success.
Cooperation Between Malaysian, Iranian Police Reduces Airport Narcotic Trafficking Cases by Drop 70 Percent
According to Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi, the illicit narcotic trafficking offences committed by Iranians in Malaysian airports and arrested by the relevant Malaysian authorities have dropped from between 60 to 70 percent. However, he said that he could not verify the number of Iranian narcotic trafficking in the Malaysian society or those who themselves were narcotic addicts.
He said: "Narcotic trafficking cases in the airport have been reduced. This is mainly because of the hard work of the Malaysian and Iranian Police. At present, Iran has already cooperated with the international criminal police. If Malaysia can also work and cooperate with the Interpol, results in curbing international narcotic trafficking activities will achieve greater results."
The Iranian envoy to Malaysia disclosed that that most of the Iranian narcotic traffickers who were arrested at the Malaysian international airport did not fly directly from Iran. He said that these Iranians arrived in Malaysia from other countries. He said that this indication has reflected the fact that the Iranian Police and the Iranian custom authorities had carried out stern enforcement measure to ensure that the narcotic traffickers did not enter the country.
Iranian Ambassador Urges To Make Effort for Arresting International Narcotic Trafficking Syndicates
The Iranian ambassador said: "The guns of the Malaysian police must aim at the international narcotic trafficking syndicates and not the sporadic narcotic smugglers and narcotic dealers."
Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi pointed out that narcotic trafficking activities were often controlled and manipulated by large international narcotic trafficking syndicates. He said that those narcotic traffickers arrested by the Malaysian Police at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport were but "hatchet man" of the international narcotic trafficking syndicates. As such he said that if the Malaysian authorities wanted "to catch the petty thieves they must first arrest the king of the thieves." He said that the guns of the Malaysian Police should point at the masterminds of the international narcotic trafficking syndicates.
Iranian Ambassador Terms Narcotic Smugglers, Dealers Middlemen
In accepting the Sin Chew Daily's interview, Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi said: "These narcotic traffickers are only 'middlemen.' They received some rewards from the international narcotic syndicates to carry out some simple task. But they are not the masterminds behind the illicit narcotic trafficking activities. Instead, the international narcotic trafficking syndicates are the target we should attack."
He said that if the Malaysian Police could successful fight against international narcotic syndicates and arrest the narcotic trafficking masterminds behind these illegal narcotic activities, the number of narcotic offenders would naturally be reduced.
He said: "Otherwise, what the Malaysia Police arrested presently were not the main controllers behind the illegal narcotic trafficking scene. When we do not use the right method to fight against the illicit narcotic trafficking activities, we will only face more and more narcotic trafficking problems."
Iranian Government Makes Great Effort To Fight Against Illicit Narcotic Trafficking Activities
Prof Dr Muhammad Mehdi Zahedi also pointed out that about 93 percent of the global narcotic production came from Afghanistan. However, more than 90 percent of the narcotic trafficking cases were detected in Iran. This statistics reflected the great effort of the Iranian Government to combat illicit narcotic trafficking activities.
The Iranian ambassador to Malaysia concluded: "Compared to the past, the number of Iranians arrested for trafficking in dangerous narcotics in Iran has fallen. We hope to achieve even greater success. If we can find the main masterminds behind these international narcotic trafficking syndicates, the middlemen and narcotic smugglers will 'disappear.' Just like a tree, we cut the leaves, the leaves will regrow; but if cut the roots of trees, the trees are withered. We have to find the roots of the international illicit narcotic trafficking syndicates!"
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