TEHRAN: Iran said Tuesday it has seized more than 530 tonnes of illegal drugs since March 2013, an almost 20 per cent increase over the previous year.

“In the past 11 months, we have seized 532 tonnes of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and opium, which is 17 per cent more” than the same period the previous year, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said at a news conference.

Opium comprised 77 per cent of all seizures.

Most of the opium that enters Iran comes in from its eastern neighbour Afghanistan, which produced 5,500 tonnes in 2013, a 49 per cent increase over 2012, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

In a bid to crack down on smuggling, Iran has launched an extensive construction programme to build more roads along its borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Fazli criticised Western countries – which drive global demand for narcotics – for failing to provide Iran with equipment and funds to combat drug trafficking. He also warned of a sharp rise in the consumption of synthetic drugs.

“The police have seized 3,500 kilos of crystal (meth) and discovered 375 crystal meth laboratories since last year,” said Fazli.

The minister said around 1.3 million Iranians are hooked on drugs, out of a population of 75 million. Iranian officials say six million have been affected by drug abuse.

The minister also defended Iran's execution of convicted drug smugglers, saying: “Generally, they are armed and violent people who have even committed rape.” He added that drug smugglers account for 80 per cent of all executions in Iran.

At least 500 people were executed in Iran in 2013, including 57 in public, according to the United Nations, which along with human rights groups has protested against the high execution rate.