Seizure of a drug trafficking ship
Drug trafficking is one of the activities of the Iranian regime government and is playing an important role during international sanctions.
Of course, during these years, Iran’s repressive forces tried many times in secret and public executions to show drug trafficking as a social phenomenon, but it is quite clear that drug trafficking in Iran is under the control of the government and the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
And the regime is using the Lebanese Hezbollah as a lever for its international drug trafficking.
The number of smuggled drugs showed us that an individual or even a group outside the government’s circle is not able to trade and move this number of drugs, especially while most of the country’s ports and customs are in the hands of the IRGC.
According to media reports, the US Navy announced on Thursday that it had rescued five Iranian sailors aboard a ship carrying several tons of drugs before the ship exploded.
The U.S. Navy says that after seizing the ship, they found out that one of the ship’s sailors had spilled liquid on the deck.
The action caused the ship to catch fire and explode, injuring five sailors, two of whom were taken to a medical center in Oman. One of the passengers of the ship is missing because of this incident and his whereabouts are still unknown.
The number of drugs seized from the ship
The value of the seized drugs is estimated at $14.7 million, according to a US Navy statement. These include 1,745 kilograms of cannabis, 500 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 30 kilograms of heroin that were being transported to an unknown destination.
A spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, based in the Middle East, said that sailors participating in the operation believed that only half of all drugs on the boat had been seized, while the rest were either burned or sank with the boat.
The discovery and seizure of a ship carrying narcotics created a new scandal for the Iranian regime. A regime that is supporting terrorism and does not respect the humanity of any nation.
The Iranian government is facing many financial crises. Carries out any activity, including drug trafficking, to cover the lack of budget and currency.
One of the possible destinations for drug trafficking is Lebanon, from where it is distributed to Syria and other countries.
Last year, Romania discovered the largest shipment of drugs smuggled into the country. The cargo arrived in Romania by ship from the Syrian port of Latakia. The port of Latakia was under the control of the Iranian government.
There is no doubt that the Iranian regime is using the gained money from its drug trafficking for its international terrorism.
In a briefing John Godfrey, acting director for counterterrorism and acting special envoy for the global coalition to defeat ISIS about the regime’s support of terrorism on December 16, 2021, said:
“Iran also continued to support acts of terrorism in the region and further afield in 2020, supporting proxies and partner groups in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, including Hezbollah and Hamas. And senior al-Qaida leaders continued to reside in Iran.
“I think, that Iran is a longstanding state sponsor of terrorism, and I think the fact that they have enabled that leadership cadre to safely reside in Iran is a reflection of their use of terrorism as an adjunct of their foreign policy goals. More broadly, not to sort of monopolize the bully pulpit here, but Iran does continue to support a range of designated terrorist groups with funding, training, weapons, and equipment, and I think the fact that that al-Qaida senior leadership cohort has continued to reside there is reflective of that approach.”
