At public ceremonies staged all across Iran, the authorities destroy a wide range of banned goods, sending out a strong message of disapproval.

The items destroyed range from heroin and other narcotics, much of which comes in from neighbouring Afghanistan, through alcohol, which it is illegal to import, to items that are allowed but are smuggled and potentially of dubious quality, such as cigarettes, cosmetics, medicines and dietary supplements,

CDs containing types of music and film frowned on by the regime are also destroyed. These are often seized from cars stopped by police.

The black market in illegal and smuggled goods accounts for a significant amount of economic activity in Iran.

Depending on the nature of the goods, they are crushed under road-rollers or burnt on fires and in furnaces.

The collection of photos shown here reflects the regime’s never-ending effort to curb the trade in these items.