LOS ANGELES—A man from the San Fernando Valley was charged on Tuesday for allegedly having two suitcases containing a cow pajama onesie and other clothing items covered in methamphetamine while getting ready to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Australia.
Raj Matharu, 31, from Northridge, is facing one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Matharu is set to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 2. He has been released on a $10,000 bond, prosecutors stated.
“Drug traffickers are constantly coming up with new ways to smuggle dangerous narcotics for their own gain—as alleged in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada in a release. “In doing so, they are harming communities worldwide. Law enforcement is dedicated to combating drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.”
According to court documents, Matharu tried to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney on Nov. 6. At the ticket counter, he checked two luggage items—a pink suitcase and a gray suitcase.
After the suitcases were checked, screening officers X-rayed them. The X-ray revealed abnormalities, and the suitcases were pulled aside for a secondary inspection. Upon opening the suitcases, law enforcement discovered more than a dozen white or light-colored clothing items that were stiff and covered in a white residue, as detailed in court papers.
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Law enforcement conducted a field test on a sample of the residue, which reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine. The total weight of the clothing items with methamphetamine residue was approximately 71.5 pounds. Authorities later extracted over two pounds of methamphetamine residue from the clothing in Matharu’s suitcases, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Officers intercepted Matharu on the jet bridge to his Australia-bound flight and proceeded to arrest him.
If Matharu is found guilty, he could face a sentence ranging from 10 years to life in prison, federal prosecutors mentioned.
