A Southern California man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and his luggage was stuffed with clothing smeared with methamphetamine, authorities said.
On November 6, Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge, attempted to fly from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia. According to US prosecutors, the man checked in two pieces of luggage at a ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport.
When security X-rayed his luggage, they noticed “irregularities” and pulled the suitcase out for a secondary inspection.
Inside, authorities found more than a dozen items of white or light-colored clothing, including a cow pajama onesie, which were hard, dry and covered in white residue.
Law enforcement tested the residue and determined the substance was methamphetamine, officials said.
The total weight of the meth-soaked clothing was approximately 71.5 pounds. Authorities were able to extract more than a kilogram of meth residue from the clothing.
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Officers caught Mataru on the jet bridge heading to the plane and he was taken into custody.
“Drug traffickers continually devise 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. That’s right.” “In the process, they contaminate communities around the world. Law enforcement is committed to combating drug trafficking, recognizing that every seizure saves a life.”
Masar is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He was released on $10,000 bail.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to anywhere from 10 years to life in prison.
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