EXECUTED TRAFFICKERS 'USED CYPRUS AS STEPPING STONE'

THREE drug traffickers hanged in Iran this week were believed to have used
Cyprus as a stepping stone for export to American and Europe.

Three Iranian men were hanged in prison in Tehran on Tuesday for drug
trafficking, according to the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA).

According to reports from ISNA and Iranmania.com, two brothers Kamran and
Keivan Razaghi and Amin Janati-Tabar had been sentenced to death after
being convicted of purchasing and selling almost 20,000 kilos of heroin and
cocaine.

The Razaghi brothers and Janati-Tabar were linked with drug trafficking to
countries such as Canada, the United States, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece and
Italy but were also alleged to have imported drugs from Afghanistan for
distribution in Iran.

They were also linked to the export of drugs via Cyprus to Asian, European
and American markets.

According to the CIA, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest
Asian heroin to Europe despite substantial interdiction efforts.

Cyprus is considered a minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air
routes and container traffic to Europe especially from Lebanon and Turkey.