Iranian authorities marked the UN-sponsored International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 by setting fire to some 100 tons of seized drugs. At least 50 tons of narcotics, mainly opiates, went up in flames on a massive pyre in front of police, judiciary officials, and foreign dignitaries in Tehran. (7 PHOTOS)
Burning Drugs In Tehran
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Police prepare a pile of some 50 tons of confiscated drugs.
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Opiates from Afghanistan are frequently trafficked through Iran on the way to Europe. Ahead of the drug-burning ceremony, a top Iranian police commander blamed European countries for failing to help Iran curb the drug trade.
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Policemen stand guard as the contraband is incinerated.
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Iranian authorities say that some 2,500 tons of narcotics enter the country from Afghanistan each year. Some 500 tons are seized by police, 1,300 tons transit through Iran, and the rest is consumed domestically, according to AP.
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A man who wired the explosives runs from the flames.
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