A California man is facing serious charges after authorities say he tried to smuggle a massive amount of methamphetamine disguised as clothing onto a flight headed for Australia.
Raj Matharu, 31, from Northridge, was accused of attempting to take over 70 pounds of meth-covered clothes on a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Sydney earlier this month. Now, he’s charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, a crime that could land him in federal prison for at least 10 years if convicted.
Here’s how it all unfolded.
On November 6, Matharu checked in two suitcases—one pink and one gray—for his United Airlines flight. But when those bags went through an X-ray machine, airport security officers noticed something strange. Curious, they flagged the luggage for a closer look.
When Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers opened the bags, they found something unusual: a bunch of clothes that were stiff, coated in a white substance. From shirts to socks, even cow-patterned onesie pajamas—everything seemed to be soaked in something suspicious.
Field tests quickly confirmed that the white residue on the clothes was methamphetamine. The total weight of the clothing was over 71 pounds, and authorities later extracted more than two pounds of meth from the garments. Officials believe the clothes were soaked in liquid meth and then dried before being packed into the suitcases.
Before Matharu could board his flight, CBP officers stopped him on the jet bridge. He admitted the luggage was his, and he was promptly arrested.
After posting a $10,000 bond, Matharu is now awaiting his arraignment, scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles.
This isn’t the first time law enforcement has busted creative attempts at drug smuggling.
In August, officers in separate incidents uncovered meth disguised as watermelons and stashed among boxes of celery. In one case, more than 4,500 pounds of meth—worth millions of dollars—was hidden inside fake watermelons in a truck crossing the border from Mexico.
Another California man was charged earlier this year after allegedly trying to ship over 2,000 pounds of meth to Australia. Meanwhile, a group of six men on the East Coast was caught running a “drug empire” that smuggled meth and cocaine by hiding the drugs inside Bluetooth karaoke speakers. Authorities say they shipped around $5 million worth of drugs over six months.
Matharu’s case serves as another example of how far some will go to try and sneak drugs past authorities—and how vigilant law enforcement has to stay to catch them.
