INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER CAUGHT WITH 4.7 KILOGRAMS OPIUM AT O’HARE

Homeland Security Department Documents and Publications
May 12, 2009

Chicago – On May 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers
working at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport seized 4.7 kg of
opium discovered in the checked baggage of an arriving passenger from
Armenia via London. The seizure resulted in the arrest of a United
States citizen.

CBP officers encountered passenger, Boobook Aghakhani, a 44-year-old
U.S. citizen traveling from Armenia, who transited through London’s
Heathrow Airport to Chicago O’Hare onboard United Airlines flight
#959 which arrived Saturday evening. Upon primary examination by CBP
officers at O’Hare, CBP officers identified Aghakhani as a potential
high risk for smuggling narcotics and he was referred for a baggage
exam.

O’Hare CBP officers seized 4.7 kg of opium from a hidden compartment
in the passenger’s suitcase.

During the examination of Aghakhani’s checked bag, x-ray revealed
inconsistencies in the bottom side of the suitcase. CBP officers then
discovered a hidden false sided compartment located on the bottom
side of the suitcase. The area was probed resulting in the discovery
of a brownish-black sticky substance that field tested positive for
opium. The false side of the suitcase was disassembled resulting in
the discovery and seizure of 4.7 kg of opium.

"CBP has an ‘all threats’ mission including the successful detection
and identification of all forms of illegal narcotics," said David
Murphy, CBP Director of field operations in Chicago. "Our CBP officers
make use of a wide variety of tools and technology to ferret out
unique deep concealment methods which result in positive outcomes
such as with this arrest."

Aghakhani was arrested and turned over to agents from U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement. He was subsequently charged by the Cook
County States Attorney’s Office with possession of a controlled
substance with intent to deliver. Earlier today a Cook County Judge
set his bond at $100,000 cash and continued his case to June 5 for a
preliminary hearing. If convicted Aghakhani faces a maximum sentence
of 30 years in prison.

Brett Sturgeon, CBP Public Affairs, Phone: (312) 983-9167Fax: (312)
353-6244or

Cherise Miles, Press Officer, Phone: (202) 359-0959Fax: (312) 353-6244

CBP Headquarters, Office of Public Affairs, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave.,
N.W., Room 3.4A, Washington, DC 20229

Phone:(202) 344-1780 or, (800) 826-1471Fax:(202) 344-1393

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress