Meth trafficking across Middle East becoming more advanced, UNODC warns

Authorities in Iran intercepted 3,663 kilogrammes of methamphetamines headed for Europe and the Persian Gulf in the first quarter of 2026, according to the UN’s drugs and crime fighting agency (UNODC).While international attention has primarily focused on the vast region’s declining opium production, advanced criminal drug trafficking networks have successfully shifted toward manufacturing and exporting synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, commonly known as meth.The evidence Iranian seizures of meth increased from 30,393 kilos in 2022 to 40,453 kilos in 2025.Seizing the often-fatal drugs wasn’t easy. Authorities conducted five intelligence-led operations targeting massive meth shipments from Afghanistan, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported from Tehran on Thursday.The shipments were headed by land across the Afghanistan-West Asia corridor, where the illicit drugs typically travel through Türkiye en route to Europe.“The clear signal from Tehran is that these substantial shipments are being intercepted before they can reach international markets,” UNODC’s Iran office wrote. “Yet, sustained success will require enhanced international cooperation and support.”Dangers of methMe...