Officials at Los Angeles International Airport this month discovered more than 17 pounds of liquid methamphetamine hidden in plastic bottles labeled Dog Shampoo.
Authorities said the estimated street value of the recovered drugs heading towards Australia is more than $1.8 million, according to a news release on Wednesday.
On April 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer at LAX inspected outbound air cargo that was declared “assorted dog shampoo” containing 12 vibrantly colored bottles.
When officers of the airport’s outbound executive team opened the bottle, they saw a “crystallized white material” that was positive for methamphetamine.
No additional details were released regarding the intended destination or party attempting to send the drug.
According to his release, from October 2023 to September 2024, customs and border guards seized more than 174,000 pounds of methane being entered or sent abroad. Since October last year, 64,000 pounds of methane have been intercepted.
Dog shampoo bottles are one of many creative ways smugglers have tried to sneak in methane in and out of the country.
Last March, a man tried to cross the border from Mexico by hiding 3,000 pounds of methane in a massive shipment of carrots. In August, another person tried to disguise a package of 1,220 metas as watermelons. Each round package was wrapped in paper and painted two shades of green to mimic the fruit.
LAX Regional Customs and Border Protection Director Andrew H. Douglas praised officers for finding the medicine in a shampoo bottle.
“This important seizure demonstrates our officers’ vigilance, keen focus and commitment to disrupt cross-border drug trafficking,” he said in a statement. “I’m extremely proud of what they do.”
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