A Northridge, Calif., man was charged Tuesday with attempting to leave two suitcases at Los Angeles International Airport containing methamphetamine-soaked clothing, including a cow pajama onesie, authorities said.
The Department of Justice announced that 31-year-old Raj Matharu was charged with a single count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Drug traffickers continually devise creative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs in pursuit of illegal profits, as the facts of this case allege,” 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.”
According to court documents, Masar arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on November 6 to board a flight to Sydney, Australia.
Upon arrival, he checked in two pieces of luggage: a pink suitcase and a gray suitcase.
Inspectors X-rayed the suitcase and found “irregularities,” prompting officers to remove it for further inspection.
When officers opened the suitcase for further analysis, they found more than a dozen pieces of white and light-colored clothing covered in white residue and stiff and dry.
Law enforcement officials tested a sample of the residue and it tested positive for methamphetamine.
The total weight of the methamphetamine-covered clothing was approximately 71.5 pounds (32.4 kilograms), the Department of Justice said.
An additional kilogram of methamphetamine residue was extracted from Masar's suitcase, the Justice Department added.
Mataru was intercepted by police as he tried to board a flight to Australia, and was subsequently arrested.
Mr. Masar has been charged and is scheduled to be arraigned on December 2 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is currently free on $10,000 bail.
If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
