IRANIAN, PAKISTANI POLICE TO LAUNCH JOINT CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS

TEHRAN -- Top ranking Iranian and Pakistani police officials held
their fifth meeting here on Tuesday to seek ways to advance the
campaign against international drug transit and production, IRNA reported.

Common threats and interests prompted Iranian and Pakistani officials
to find a mechanism to fight drugs, said Director General of the
meeting's Public Relations Department Mohammad-Ali Hashemi on Tuesday.

Head of Pakistani drugs Police Iskandar Ali said production of drugs
in Afghanistan poses a serious threat to both Iran and Pakistan.

Ali said drugs related problems have unfortunately been growing in the
post-Taliban era and neither the West nor Afghan transitional
government have thus far been able to take any concrete action on the
issue.

Head of the Iranian Police Anti Narcotics Center General Mehdi Abouie
said forces under his command had seized 80 tons of drugs in the first
seven months of 2003.