A San Fernando Valley man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly possessing clothing caked with methamphetamine, including a cow pajama onesie, while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Australia.
Raj Matharu, a 31-year-old resident of Northridge, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The meth-caked clothing consisted of over a dozen pieces packed into two suitcases.
Matharu is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is 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,” said U.S. Attorney 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.”
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On Nov. 6, Matharu tried to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, according to court documents. He checked in two bags at the ticket counter, one pink suitcase and one gray suitcase.
After the luggage was checked, airport screening officers X-rayed them. The scan showed irregularities, which lead officers to pull the luggage for a secondary inspection. When officers opened the suitcases, they found more than a dozen light colored clothing items covered in white residue, according to authorities.
The residue tested positive for methamphetamine. The total weight of the meth-caked clothing was approximately 32.4 kilograms, or 71.5 pounds. More than one kilogram of methamphetamine residue was later collected by law enforcement from the clothing in Matharu’s possession.
Officers intercepted Matharu on the jet bridge to his flight to Australia . He was later arrested.
Matharu faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
