**Man Arrested at LAX for Attempting to Smuggle Meth-Soaked Clothing**

A 31-year-old Northridge resident, Raj Matharu, was apprehended at Los Angeles International Airport after authorities discovered that his suitcases contained clothes soaked in methamphetamine, as revealed by federal prosecutors on Tuesday.

Matharu, who was about to board a flight to Sydney on November 6, attracted attention when security personnel noticed oddities in the X-ray images of his pink and gray suitcases. Upon further inspection, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found numerous articles of clothing— including socks, tank tops, sweatpants, jeans, hoodies, underwear, and a pair of cow pajama onesie—stiffened and coated with a white residue. Subsequent tests confirmed the residue was methamphetamine.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the Central District of California, the clothing items saturated in the drug residue weighed around 71 pounds, which investigators speculate contained more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine solution. The method likely involved "washing" the clothes in methamphetamine and then letting them dry.

Matharu was intercepted at his boarding gate and admitted to being the owner of the suspicious luggage. He had even used his personal credit card to pay a $100 fee for an additional checked bag. He was taken into custody on November 7 and charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Court records indicate he was released on a $10,000 bond secured by a relative.

"Drug dealers are continually inventing creative methods for smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada in a statement regarding the case.

This incident is not isolated; notably, another individual was arrested for allegedly trying to transport meth-soaked clothing via air travel. A British student, Myah Saakwa-Mante, was detained at LAX after customs officers discovered 13 T-shirts laced with the drug in her luggage on November 2. Although she claimed to have purchased the items from Target and provided receipts, she denied any knowledge of the methamphetamine.

These incidents underscore ongoing efforts by law enforcement to curb the innovative methods employed by drug traffickers looking to exploit air travel for their operations.