By Tatevik Harutyunyan

A Yerevan court is examining the case of an Iranian citizen who was caught trying to smuggle four kilos of opium into Armenia on October 11, 2012.

Hamid Shahlayei Jalalin has told the court that he had no idea that a suitcase give to him by a third party, ostensibly full of gifts for relatives in Armenia, actually included the drugs in a secret compartment.

At an earlier trial session, the defendant’s attorney claimed that employees of Armenia’s National Securty Service failed to properly log the drugs after taking possession.

Jalalin told the court that he often travels to Armenia as a tourist and that when he worked as a bus driver plying the Tehran-Yerevan route he wouldn’t even bring over-the-counter pills with him.

The defendant said he knew Rubik Vardanyan, the man who gave him the suitcase, for two years. The two became acquainted while living in the same Tehran neighbourhood.

Jalalin said this was the first time Vardanyan requested that he take something to Armenia.

While an examination has revealed that Jalalin isn’t a drug user, the prosecution argues that the drugs were to be smuggled into Armenia and then sold.

Prosecutor Grigor Tigranyan has asked that the defendant be sentenced to 12 years.

Yerevan State University                                                                                                                     4th Year Journalism Student