Crime in Iran
Encyclopedia
Crime in Iran is present in various forms, and may include the following offenses: murder
, kidnapping
, theft
, fraud
, money laundering
, drug trafficking, drug
selling, alcohol
smuggling, oil
smuggling and many other ordinary crimes that criminals commit.
point for Southwest Asia
n heroin to Europe. It shares a 975 kilometer common border with Afghanistan-the world's largest opium producer-which provides a short land route for drug transit between Afghanistan and Europe. With 2.8 percent of the population addicted to drugs, Iran has the highest drug addiction rate in the world.
. Iran produces almost none of its own opium; the opium is brought into the country from neighbor Afghanistan. In 2006, over 53 percent of the opium produced in Afghanistan left the country through Iran. Several measures have been taken by the Iranian authorities to combat drug trafficking. This includes increasing the number of police forces on the southeastern border of Iran and introducing severe laws and penalties for people found guilty of drug trafficking.
Iran has become a leading figure in combating drug trafficking; so far Iranian authorities have made over 85 percent of the worlds total opium seizures. Between 2009 and 2010, the amount of illicit drugs seized by Iranian police totalled over 340 tons.
: "Iran is a source, transit, and destination for women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. Iranian women are trafficked internally for the purpose of forced prostitution and for forced marriages to settle debts. Iranian children are trafficked internally and Afghan children are trafficked to Iran for the purpose of forced marriages, commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude as beggars or laborers. According to non-governmental sources, Iranian women and girls are also trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom for commercial sexual exploitation."
(also called MeK or MKO) is a well known Iranian terrorist group. The MeK organized the Hafte Tir bombing
, which was the first terrorist act against the government of the Islamic Republic. Seventy-three leading officials were killed in the attack. Another well known Iranian terrorist group is Jundallah
. Jundallah has carried several high profile attacks against the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These attacks include the 2005 ambush on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade in the Sistan Baluchistan Province
. They also conducted a larger attack in 2009, when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a meeting of the IRGC commanders. Several high-ranking IRGC officials were killed.
The Taliban have also committed terrorist acts against Iran and are regarded as a terrorist organization by the Iranian government.
. Even with this ban, alcohol smuggling is still popular in Iran today. It's reported that over 2.5 million dollars of alcohol is smuggled into Iran every day. Smugglers often have a hard time smuggling alcohol into Iran; border security forces repeatedly clash with smugglers and many die.
while neighboring countries pay more than a dollar per liter which makes oil smuggling a profitable business for smugglers. Every year in Iran, over 1.8 billion liters of refined oil products are smuggled to neighboring countries. These countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey.
According to state owned news network Press TV
, Iran currently produces 230 million liters of the four main fuels-gasoline, diesel, kerosene
and furnace oil, every day; 40 million liters of this production (17%) is smuggled out of the country daily.
and homosexual sex are considered illegal acts under Iranian law and carry the death penalty. Punishment for drug use and trafficking can be severe; anyone convicted of having possession of, using or trafficking in illegal drugs can expect long jail sentences, heavy fines and even the death penalty.
Stoning
is still popular in Iran. Death by stoning is usually used for people who have been found guilty of adultery. Recently, twelve women and three men were found guilty of adultery and were sentenced to execution by stoning.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
, fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, drug trafficking, drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
selling, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
smuggling, oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
smuggling and many other ordinary crimes that criminals commit.
Drug trafficking
Drug trafficking is a major and ongoing problem in Iran. Iran is a key transshipmentTransshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
point for Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
n heroin to Europe. It shares a 975 kilometer common border with Afghanistan-the world's largest opium producer-which provides a short land route for drug transit between Afghanistan and Europe. With 2.8 percent of the population addicted to drugs, Iran has the highest drug addiction rate in the world.
Opium
The majority of drug users in Iran are addicted to opiumOpium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
. Iran produces almost none of its own opium; the opium is brought into the country from neighbor Afghanistan. In 2006, over 53 percent of the opium produced in Afghanistan left the country through Iran. Several measures have been taken by the Iranian authorities to combat drug trafficking. This includes increasing the number of police forces on the southeastern border of Iran and introducing severe laws and penalties for people found guilty of drug trafficking.
Iran has become a leading figure in combating drug trafficking; so far Iranian authorities have made over 85 percent of the worlds total opium seizures. Between 2009 and 2010, the amount of illicit drugs seized by Iranian police totalled over 340 tons.
Human trafficking
According to the U.S. Department of StateUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
: "Iran is a source, transit, and destination for women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. Iranian women are trafficked internally for the purpose of forced prostitution and for forced marriages to settle debts. Iranian children are trafficked internally and Afghan children are trafficked to Iran for the purpose of forced marriages, commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude as beggars or laborers. According to non-governmental sources, Iranian women and girls are also trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom for commercial sexual exploitation."
Terrorism
Terrorism against the Iranian government of has become more common recently. The People's Mujahedin of IranPeople's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
(also called MeK or MKO) is a well known Iranian terrorist group. The MeK organized the Hafte Tir bombing
Hafte tir bombing
On 28 June 1981 , a powerful bomb went off at the headquarters of the Iran Islamic Republic Party in Tehran, while a meeting of party leaders was in progress...
, which was the first terrorist act against the government of the Islamic Republic. Seventy-three leading officials were killed in the attack. Another well known Iranian terrorist group is Jundallah
Jundallah
Jundallah, or Jondollah , also known as People's Resistance Movement of Iran , is an organization based in Balochistan that claims to be fighting for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran. It was founded by Abdolmalek Rigi who was captured and executed in Iran in 2010...
. Jundallah has carried several high profile attacks against the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These attacks include the 2005 ambush on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade in the Sistan Baluchistan Province
Sistan and Baluchistan Province
Sistan and Baluchestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southeast of the country, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan and its capital is Zahedan....
. They also conducted a larger attack in 2009, when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a meeting of the IRGC commanders. Several high-ranking IRGC officials were killed.
The Taliban have also committed terrorist acts against Iran and are regarded as a terrorist organization by the Iranian government.
Alcohol smuggling
Iran began restricting alcohol production and consumption shortly after the Iranian revolutionIranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
. Even with this ban, alcohol smuggling is still popular in Iran today. It's reported that over 2.5 million dollars of alcohol is smuggled into Iran every day. Smugglers often have a hard time smuggling alcohol into Iran; border security forces repeatedly clash with smugglers and many die.
Oil smuggling
Oil smuggling has become more of an issue in Iran. Iranians pay an average price of 9 cents a liter for gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
while neighboring countries pay more than a dollar per liter which makes oil smuggling a profitable business for smugglers. Every year in Iran, over 1.8 billion liters of refined oil products are smuggled to neighboring countries. These countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey.
According to state owned news network Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
, Iran currently produces 230 million liters of the four main fuels-gasoline, diesel, kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
and furnace oil, every day; 40 million liters of this production (17%) is smuggled out of the country daily.
Punishment
Iran has one of the highest execution rates (second only to China). AdulteryAdultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and homosexual sex are considered illegal acts under Iranian law and carry the death penalty. Punishment for drug use and trafficking can be severe; anyone convicted of having possession of, using or trafficking in illegal drugs can expect long jail sentences, heavy fines and even the death penalty.
Stoning
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
is still popular in Iran. Death by stoning is usually used for people who have been found guilty of adultery. Recently, twelve women and three men were found guilty of adultery and were sentenced to execution by stoning.