Tasnim � The intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have managed to capture a major haul of opium destined for Europe, an informed source said.

Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, the source said that following several months of intelligence activities by the IRGC forces in Tehran, a major drug ring was identified and smashed.

In a recent surprise operation, the IRGC intelligence forces tracked and seized more than 250 kilograms of opium in a trailer truck, he said.

The source also said the smugglers had planned to transit the huge cargo of illicit drugs to a country in Western Europe.

Iran, which has a 900-kilometer common border with Afghanistan, has been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.

Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past three decades.

The country has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past 35 years.