Man gets 3 years in opium scheme

A Vancouver man caught with 14 kilograms of opium smuggled into Canada has been sentenced to three years in jail.

Esfandiar Henareh, 46, was convicted in January 2015 of possession of opium for the purpose of trafficking after the drugs were seized from the trunk of his vehicle in Burnaby. He and his co-accused, Aghasi Salamat Ravandi, were charged after Ravandi picked up a shipment of opium with a U-Haul van from the Vancouver airport on March 11, 2011.

Ravandi, who has been sentenced to 41/2 years in prison following his conviction in a separate trial, drove the van to Henareh’s home in Vancouver. Then the two men left in Henareh’s vehicle, intending to travel to Ravandi’s home in Burnaby.

Henareh, a father of one who was employed as a delivery truck driver, was arrested after Ravandi got out of the vehicle. In the trunk of Henareh’s vehicle were 14 kilograms of opium, which had been smuggled into Canada in an earlier shipment.

The drugs, valued at between $275,000 and more than $400,000, had been concealed inside three Coleman-brand coolers.

In imposing sentence on Henareh, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jeanne Watchuk noted that while the accused had not made money from the drug transaction, it was a deliberate and relatively sophisticated plan.

Henareh was an employee in a position of trust in the trafficking operation, but not the operating mind, the judge concluded.

“Mr. Henareh played an important role. He was trusted. I find that he had knowledge of the opium importation scheme which included the shipment received on March 11 and at least one previous shipment.”

Court heard Henareh was born in Iran and left for Turkey in 2006 due to oppression. In February 2008, he came to Canada from Turkey as a refugee and has permanent residency status in Canada. However, he faces possible deportation as a result of his conviction.

Henareh was sentenced Dec. 4. A written ruling on the sentencing was posted on the court’s website Thursday.