Local News in Brief : Heroin, 3 Iranian Nationals Seized
Two owners of a downtown Los Angeles clothing shop and an Oriental rug salesman were arrested by federal agents who seized more than 6 pounds of heroin worth more than $6 million, authorities said Friday.
The suspects, all Iranian nationals, were arrested Thursday night during a raid by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Customs Service and the Postal Service, DEA spokesman Ralph Lochridge said.
Abass Khajavi Rad, 55, the rug salesman, and the two co-owners of Nino Ferretti clothing, Farad Nickfardjan, 19, of Los Angeles, and Ayatollah Puret, 62, were all charged with the possession and distribution of heroin in violation of federal law, Lochridge said.
The three were arrested while search warrants were served at the store, located in the garment district at 761 S. Los Angeles St., Lochridge said.
The heroin had allegedly been smuggled via U.S. mail to Los Angeles and was contained inside two black-lacquered wall plaques with inlaid mother-of-pearl bird.
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