A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced Monday to three years behind bars for possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items -- including a cow pajama onesie -- caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Australia.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Raj Matharu, 32, of Northridge, pleaded guilty in June in downtown Los Angeles to one federal count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On Nov. 6, 2024, Matharu planned to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney. He carried with him two suitcases filled with clothing that had been coated with nearly 2.4 pounds of methamphetamine, federal prosecutors said.
After arriving at LAX, Matharu was told his bags were overweight and opened both suitcases to shift items between them -- an act captured by airport surveillance cameras. He then successfully checked his luggage containing the meth-soaked clothes, according to his plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court.
X-ray screening revealed abnormalities in Matharu's suitcases, and they were flagged for secondary review. Officers inspected one suitcase and felt stiff clothing. Prosecutors said a K9 unit was called, and Matharu was intercepted by officers after he crossed the jet bridge to board his Australia- bound flight. He was brought to the screening area, where he confirmed the two bags were his and that he packed them himself, court papers show.
Officers opened the bags, finding stiffly dried white clothing caked in a powdery substance, as well as loose white residue on the lining and throughout both cases, all of which tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Further extraction of the substance from six of a total of 17 items in the suitcases and additional laboratory testing revealed that those items contained methamphetamine, court papers show.
Matharu admitted in his plea agreement that, at the time he possessed the suitcases, he knew he was transporting methamphetamine or some other federally controlled substance that he intended to distribute in Australia.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok