Iranian Commander Blasts Pakistan, Afghanistan over Lax Border Control

(FNA)- Commander of the Iranian Border Guards Brigadier General Qassem Rezayee warned Pakistan and Afghanistan to take practical measures to tighten their lax security control over borders with Iran to prevent the drug-traffickers from crossing the border.

"Since drug traffickers had crossed the border into Iran from Pakistan and Afghanistan, we officially declared our official protest at the border guards of Pakistan and Afghanistan to more seriously block the activities and penetration of drug traffickers through their borders to Iran," General Rezayee said on Saturday.

He said that by using intelligence tips, the border guards in Zahedan (Sistan and Balouchestan province) came to be informed of the intentions of an armed gang of drug traffickers to smuggle drugs into Iran and staged a raid on them.

"The borders guards in a surprise attack disbanded the gang and discovered over two tons of narcotics from them," General Rezayee said.

He said that two drug traffickers were arrested in special police operations, adding that 2,013 kg of illicit drugs, including 1,672 kilograms of opium, 141 kilograms of heroin and 198 kilograms of hashish were discovered and seized from them.

In relevant remarks in April, General Rezayee urged Pakistan to stop terrorists' cross-border attacks from its soil and adopt practical measures in tightening their lax security control over borders with Iran.

"The border guards of this (Eastern) region are in fact in charge of security of both Iran and Pakistan borders, but unfortunately we are facing the negligence of the Pakistani side," General Rezayee said on Wednesday.

He reported over 70 cases of border clashes with the terrorists and drug traffickers last year, and said, "Whenever these clashes happen Pakistan is to blame for them." 

The bordering areas between Iran and Pakistan have witnessed numerous cases insecurity in recent years.