A Northridge man is accused of leaving two suitcases at Los Angeles International Airport containing methamphetamine-stained clothing, including cow onesie pajamas.
Raj Masar, 31, checked in a pink and gray suitcase at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 6 while boarding a flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, according to a Department of Justice news release.
After the first X-ray examination of the suitcase, the inspector noticed some abnormalities and decided to conduct a second examination.
“When law enforcement opened the suitcase, they discovered that it contained more than a dozen items of white or light-colored clothing, which were hard, dry, and covered with white residue. ” said the release.
Law enforcement officials tested the white residue, determined it was methamphetamine, and extracted more than a kilogram of residue from the clothing.
Officers intercepted Mataru on the jet bridge en route to his flight to Australia and he was subsequently arrested.
“Drug dealers continually invent creative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs in pursuit of illegal profits, as alleged in the facts of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. said. “In the process, they contaminate communities around the world. Law enforcement is committed to combating drug trafficking, recognizing that every seizure saves a life.”
Mr. Masar is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is free on $10,000 bail.
If convicted, Mataru faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the incident along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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