TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have detained 275 Afghan migrants in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan as part of a security operation, Iranian media reported.
According to the state-run ISNA news agency, Mohammad Ali Lakzaei, the police commander of Chabahar, said that 123 Afghan nationals were arrested in the port city during a broader effort to enhance public security.
“Security and operational plans aimed at improving public safety and citizen satisfaction, with a focus on local security, were implemented across the city over the past 72 hours,” Lakzaei said.
Meanwhile, in Hirmand, a district in northern Sistan and Baluchestan near the Afghan border, authorities arrested an additional 152 Afghan migrants, according to Mohammad Shibak, the city’s police commander.
“As a result of this operation, one thief, 152 illegal foreign nationals, five homeless drug addicts, and eight suspects were detained,” Shibak said.
Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan, has seen a significant influx of Afghan migrants in recent years, particularly following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Iran has periodically conducted crackdowns on undocumented migrants, citing security concerns and economic pressures.
