Iranian Nat'l Jailed After Busted With Opium At LAX

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — An Iranian national who allegedly tried to smuggle almost five pounds of opium into the U.S. in his hand luggage is behind bars on Friday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said the drug was hidden in the false bottom of a bag allegedly carried by the man arriving on Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from London.

During an interview with the man, described by CBP as a legal permanent U.S. resident, officers noticed his hand-carry bag was unusually heavy after all of the contents had been removed, the agency said.

The bag was then X-rayed, revealing an anomaly within the lining. When the lining was removed, officers allegedly found four packages wrapped in black plastic. The content of those packages tested positive for opium, according to officials.

"This is another prime example the daily vigilance of our CBP officers at LAX," said Carlos C. Martel, CBP's acting head of Los Angeles operations.

"I commend their dedicated efforts which often result in interceptions of contraband and prohibited items at the frontline of our borders."

CBP spokesman Jaime Ruiz said the agency could not immediately make public the man's name or hometown.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)