The Quds Force and drug trafficking in the world
Downloads
The Quds Force is one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's five forces. It is impossible to
separate the Quds force and the IRGC from each other. Since its establishment, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps has supported terrorist groups in the region and Islamic countries.
The "Quds Force," or the "Sepah," took its name from the title given to Jerusalem by the Islamic
Republic and was formed based on Article Seven of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Statute
regarding the support of Islamic movements outside Iran's borders. This duty was first handled by
the "Liberation Movements Unit" under the responsibility of Mohammad Montazeri and then by
Mehdi Hashemi until the Unit was dissolved by the end of 1981. This Unit was also considered a
sub-group of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The "Islamic liberation movements" was also taken over by the intelligence unit of the IRGC for
a while.
This force was established during the Iran-Iraq war, and its purpose was to operate on Iraq's soil.
Some sources have estimated this force to have up to 50,000 members worldwide.
As the head of the Quds Force, Ghassem Soleimani created several other groups, such as
the Hosseinioun, the Fatemiyoun, the Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, Badr Corps, Asaib Ahl al-Haq,
"Hezbollah of Iraq, in Yemen, the Quds Force supported the "Ansar Allah" group, all of these
groups are politically, financially and militarily supported by the Iranian regime. Considering this
organization's vast area of activities in the region, this article seeks to answer the central question
of what role the Quds Force of the IRGC of Iran has played in drug trafficking in the Middle East
and worldwide.
1
Downloads
Kayhan London, 2022, The Quds Force and the IRGC. Published by Kayhan London website. https://kayhan.london/1401/01/27/281157/
Report of the Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate, 2012, Iran Support of Terrorism in the Middle East https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg76693/html/CHRG-112shrg76693.htm#:~:text=Iran%20provides%20political%20and%20military,East%20to%20advance%20its%20interests.
Report of the UNODC, 2022, Opium Cultivation in Afghanistan, Published by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Opium_cultivation_Afghanistan_2022.pdf
Hajizadeh, A., 2020, How the Iranian regime allows drug trafficking for foreign currency liquidity, Published by Al-Arabiya News. https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2018/08/16/How-the-Iranian-regime-allows-drug-trafficking-for-foreign-currency-liquidity-
Drug trafficking by Houthis with the help of IRGC and Hezbollah, 2022, Published by Farsi Al-Arabiya
https://farsi.alarabiya.net/middle-east/2022/05/11/
EU4MD Special Report, 2021, The Situation in Iran and the implications for the EU and its neighbors, Published by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drugs Addiction https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/13703/EU4MD_Methamphetamine-situation-in-Iran_final.pdf
Moradi, V., 2022, Death Penalty for drugs, Published by Shah Moradi Vakil, https://vakilshahmoradi.com
Reuters Staff, 2010, Nigeria Seized $9.9 million heroin shipment from Iran, Published by Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-iran-heroin-idUSTRE6AI3FR20101119.
Al-Arabiya News, 2010, Iran says arms seized in Nigeria” misunderstanding,” Published by the Al-Arabiya News. https://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2010%2F11%2F15%2F126218
Zenn, J., 2013, The Islamic Movement and Iranian Intelligence Activities in Nigeria, Published by Combating terrorism Center, Vol. 6, Issue 10. https://ctc.usma.edu/the-islamic-movement-and-iranian-intelligence-activities-in-nigeria/
Bani Sadr, The Quds Force and drug smuggling, 2011, Published on YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHXTj1QkSJ8
Iran Briefing, 2011, Two Iranian arrested on charges of smuggling weapons to Azerbaijan, published by Iran Briefing website. https://irbr.news/
Suboot News Agency, 2012, The Intractable Drug Problem in Afghanistan, Published by the Suboot News Agency on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/komite.kurdstan.wpi/photos/a.298854923465562/5250499764967695/?type=3
Aftab News Staff, 2021, Iran’s options regarding Afghanistan: Support for the Taliban or war. Published by Aftab News Website: https://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/719332/
Calabrese, J., 2007, Iran’s war on Drugs: Holding the line?, Published by MEI@75, https://www.mei.edu/publications/irans-war-drugs-holding-line
Global initiative, 2020, Under the shadow illicit economies in Iran. Published by Global Initiative https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Under-the-shadow-Illicit-economies-in-Iran-GITOC.pdf
Radio Farda, 2011, The issue of Glass smuggling by Iranian nationals, Published by Radio Farda https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f11_iran_malaysia_drug_smuglers_arrested/2287677.html
Moafi. A., 2018, Smuggling drugs, the new job of Iranian girls, Published by Abbasamirmoafi http://abbasamirmoafi.blogfa.com/post/19
IFMAT, 2023, Iran airports report- Revolutionary Guards’ control of Iranian airports, Published by the Iranian regime, Frauds, Manipulations, Atrocities, Treats website. https://www.ifmat.org/iran-airports-report-revolutionary-guards-control/
H.R.3783- Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012- 112th Congress 2011-2012
Valencia, D., 2014, The Evolving Dynamics of Terrorism: The Terrorist-Criminal Nexus of Hezbollah and the Los Zetas Drug Cartels. Published by UTEP.edu https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/nssi/_Files/docs/Capstone%20projects1/Valencia_Evolving-Dynamics-of-Terrorism.pdf
Anyssia S. 2022, Hezbollah’s Operations and Networks in the United States: Two Decades in Review, Published by extremism. Gwu. Edu. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Hezbollah%27s_Operations_and_Networks_in_the_United_States_June30_2022.pdf
The U.S. Department of Justice, 2011, Two men charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-men-charged-alleged-plot-assassinate-saudi-arabian-ambassador-united-states
The U.S Department of the Treasury, 2012, Treasury Designates Iranian Quds Force General Overseeing Afghan Heroin Trafficking Through Iran, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/tg1444
Johnson K., 2023, 3Charged in a plot to assassinate activist Masih Alinejad, who is critical of the Iran regime, Published by USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/27/iran-assassination-plot-targeting-activist/11133341002/
BBC, 2021, Elham Aliyev: Iran and Armenia smuggled drugs to Europe for 30 years. Published by BBC https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-58928371
Al- Tamimi N., 2022, Illegal drug trade funds Houthi recruitment efforts in Yemen, Published by Almashareq https://almashareq.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_am/features/2022/03/22/feature-01
Al Arabiya staff, 2023, Drug trafficking by Houthis with the help of IRGC and Hezbollah, Published by Al-Arabiya, https://farsi.alarabiya.net/middle-east/2022/05/11/
Aljazeera, 2023, French Forces seize a shipment of weapons headed from Iran to Yemen., Published by Aljazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/2/french-forces-seize-shipment-of-weapons-headed-from-iran-to-yemen
Ward A. & Toosi N., 2022, Biden made a final decision to keep Iran’s IRGC on terrorist list, Published by politico https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/24/biden-final-decision-iran-revolutionary-guard-terrorist-00034789
Copyright (c) 2023 Samin Ustiashvili,

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.