A San Fernando Valley man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly possessing clothes caked with methamphetamine, together with a cow pajama onesie, whereas getting ready to board a flight from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport to Australia.
Raj Matharu, a 31-year-old resident of Northridge, is charged with one depend of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The meth-caked clothes consisted of over a dozen items packed into two suitcases.
Matharu is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court docket in downtown Los Angeles. He’s free on a $10,000 bond.
“Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit – as alleged in the facts of this case,” stated U.S. Legal professional Martin Estrada. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.”
On Nov. 6, Matharu tried to journey from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, based on courtroom paperwork. He checked in two baggage on the ticket counter, one pink suitcase and one grey suitcase.
After the bags was checked, airport screening officers X-rayed them. The scan confirmed irregularities, which lead officers to tug the bags for a secondary inspection. When officers opened the suitcases, they discovered greater than a dozen mild coloured clothes gadgets lined in white residue, based on authorities.
The residue examined optimistic for methamphetamine. The whole weight of the meth-caked clothes was roughly 32.4 kilograms, or 71.5 kilos. A couple of kilogram of methamphetamine residue was later collected by regulation enforcement from the clothes in Matharu’s possession.
Officers intercepted Matharu on the jet bridge to his flight to Australia . He was later arrested.
Matharu faces a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years in federal jail and a statutory most sentence of life in jail if convicted.
Initially Printed: November 27, 2024 at 4:43 AM PST
