Police in Canada have arrested an Iranian-Canadian husband and wife returning from a trip to Iran with opium hidden very expertly in their luggage that almost went undetected.
A suspicious border services agent dug a little bit deeper and discovered five kilograms of black tar opium hidden in seven coffee carafes at the Calgary, Alberta, International Airport.
The agent became suspicious August 7 when a box containing the thermal coffee carafes was discovered during a baggage search. An X-ray revealed suspicious masses within the carafes.
“This is a pretty sophisticated concealment method. I would say this is the first for us,” Candace Lyle, chief of operations for Canada Border Services Agency at the airport, told the Canadian Press Monday.
“This was unique. Kudos to the officer that found them because the seven carafes were in boxes concealed in luggage.”
Anyone opening the carafes would have found nothing. The bottoms were removed, the drugs inserted and the bottoms then re-welded to the carafes.
“The boxes themselves had a plastic wrapping around them and were all heat sealed,” said Constable Scott Burge of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“When you took the carafe out, it had the bubble pop wrapping and it looked great. The carafe was even in a bag and had the little adhesive tape around it. It looked factory.”
The husband and wife were returning to Calgary from Iran via Frankfurt.
Bijan Mohammedi, 41, and his 32-year-old wife, Zahra Beigi, have been charged with importation and possession for the purpose of trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The couple lives in Calgary.
“I think in the widespread market for illicit drugs, it [black tar opium] is rare,” said Burge.
“There’s a unique market — a unique demographic for this opium,” he said, hinting that the drugs were meant for Iranians living in Canada and not for general sale. “It’s not as prevalent as cocaine and crack and that sort of thing. It is definitely not in the same category.”
Black tar opium isn’t much different than regular opium except for its appearance, which resembles pieces of black tar. It gives off a scent similar to incense.
This is only the second time black tar opium has been seized at the Calgary airport, officials said. They estimated the street value of the drugs seized could range from $300,000 to $500,000.
Mohammedi and Beigi are scheduled to appear in Calgary court October 16.