17 November IRNA
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Iran's police chief, Mohammad Baqer
Qalibaf has demanded the
victorious United Front to establish security at Afghanistan's restive western borders
with Iran and stop the increase in smuggling of narcotics.
In an interview with the local press Qalibaf said
"We demand better control and border guarding with the deployment of
Afghanistan's United Front forces on the eastern borders of the country
(Iran)," he said.
"Border posts between Iran and Afghanistan should be beefed up under the
new situation and suitable cooperation be forged among the two countries' border
guards," Qalibaf added.
The Iranian police chief also asked the future Afghan government to ban poppy
cultivation in the country and replace it with other agricultural products.
The Northern Alliance is responsible for much of the opium that originates
from Afghanistan as the Taliban had banned the planting of poppy seeds.
He said Iran will upgrade its cooperation with Afghanistan for the
establishment of security on the two countries' plus 900-km borders after a
new popular government takes shape in that country.
Qalibaf said that Iran's armed forces have succeeded in establishing relative
security in the country's eastern borders after killing or arresting 1,700
bandits in the past year.
"Once crossing borders into the Islamic Republic of Iran, drug traffickers
are either killed, arrested or flee back to the other side
of the border," he
said.
He said Iranian citizens near the eastern borders have been assured to return
home and lead a normal life.