Iran police chief vows to root out “trouble-makers”

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Oct. 01 – The commandant of Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) announced that cracking down on “trouble-makers” in society was the most important task of the country’s police force and vowed to root out “seditious elements in society”, a semi-official daily reported on Saturday. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Oct. 01 – The commandant of Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) announced that cracking down on “trouble-makers” in society was the most important task of the country’s police force and vowed to root out “seditious elements in society”, a semi-official daily reported on Saturday.

Iranian officials often refer to millions of unemployed young men, who are often beset by frustration and despair, as “trouble-makers” and “seditious elements”.

“In the current year, a decisive crackdown on trouble-makers is the most important task of this force”, Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam told a gathering of senior SSF commanders, the hard-line daily Jomhouri Islami wrote.

Ahmadi Moghaddam highlighted alcoholic beverages distribution and goods smuggling and as key issues that the police force was tackling.

Since early September, a “Plan to Combat Trouble-makers” has been in effect in the Iranian capital. The crackdown was recently extended by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, who announced that it would last until at least October 26 and may be extended once again.

Thousands of young men have been arrested under the scheme and hundreds have been sentenced in special Islamic courts and jailed.