Police launch stop-and-search in central Iran city

Iran Focus:

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 19 – Plainclothes agents of Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) have been placed at major squares in the town of Isfahan, central Iran, since Thursday and have launched a stop-and-search operation for drivers passing by, residents reported on Friday.

Drivers stopped are ordered to show their identity cards and their vehicles are thoroughly searched by plainclothes agents.

One eye-witness reported that local SSF commander Bijan Bakhtiyarvand was overseeing the operation.Earlier this month, the head of police in Isfahan province announced that members of the Bassij, paramilitary vigilantes loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were authorised to assist the police in cracking down on dissent.

Brigadier-General Hossein Zolfaqari said, “The Bassij forces, acting as agents of the judiciary, in accordance with the law and their particular circumstances can act against apparent crimes”.