According to the Mehrnews, Seyyed Hassan Jafari announced that following continuous monitoring and investigations by the protection unit, the environmental protection officers at the Mahroozeh station, in coordination with the prosecutor’s office and the collaboration of the police command in Abkenar, successfully discovered and confiscated approximately two thousand leeches (Hirudo orientalis) from an individual who was illegally capturing, storing, and selling this protected species to neighboring provinces.

He added that this operation was conducted in line with efforts to preserve biodiversity and combat environmental violations in the wildlife sector, and the suspect has been referred to the judicial authority for legal proceedings following the formation of a case.

Jafari noted that after the seizure, the confiscated leeches, due to being caught by hand and the potential for contamination, must be quarantined under suitable conditions for at least two to three months. After conducting microbiological tests and confirming their health, they will be released into an appropriate habitat to return to the natural cycle.

The head of the Environmental Protection Department in Bandar Anzali emphasized that the department will rigorously confront any illegal capture, possession, transportation, and trade of protected species, and urged citizens to report any observed environmental violations to the protection unit at the number 1540.

It is worth mentioning that the Iranian Hirudo orientalis has the highest therapeutic compound levels among leech species. The saliva of this species is rich in anticoagulant enzymes such as hirudin, which play a crucial role in improving vascular diseases, reducing blood clots, and enhancing blood flow. Consequently, there has been a significant focus on the breeding and propagation of this species in Iran in recent years.