Iranian of the Day

LA Times: A rice cooker and jar seized from an airline passenger arriving from Iran contained an unexpected surprise: $110,000 worth of opium, federal authorities said.

Eagled-eyed U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Los Angeles International Airport spotted opium concealed in the rice cooker wrapped in foil. A subsequent search of Sam Saeed Shariat's luggage yielded a jar of opium and more than 1,900 methadone, alprazolam and Valium pills, customs officials said.

Shariat, 63, a U.S. resident, was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling after authorities discovered the drugs in his suitcase Wednesday.

"Smugglers who attempt to fool [customs] officers with clever concealment methods fool themselves," said Todd C. Owen, Customs and Border Protection director of field operations in Los Angeles. “Our officers have extensive, ongoing training and very keen instincts for detecting unique concealment techniques.” >>>