United States Department of Justice
Law enforcement officials tasked with cracking down on drug smugglers have a pretty tough job thanks in no small part to the creative methods criminals are constantly dreaming up to thwart them. That includes a strategy that was allegedly harnessed by a man attempting to sneak some meth into Australia, although it wasn’t innovative enough to fool the folks that caught him.
At the risk of being canceled for sharing an absolutely scorching hot take on the internet, I’m a man of principle who’s brave enough to say I firmly do not approve of people who break the law by transporting sizeable amounts of illegal drugs across international borders.
However, as someone who’s watched way more episodes of To Catch a Smuggler than I’m comfortable admitting, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t respect the ingenuity of the people who go to some incredible lengths to attempt to avoid detection while engaging in that particular activity.
Over the years, I’ve encountered a number of stories concerning border patrol agents and police officers who’ve nabbed criminals who tried (and ultimately failed) to disguise their wares in ways that would never even cross my mind, which is certainly the case with a man who was recently arrested at Los Angeles International Airport.
According to the Department of Justice, Raj Matharu of Northridge, California headed to LAX on November 6th and checked two suitcases he was planning to bring with him on a flight to Sydney, Australia. However, they were flagged for further examination after “irregularities” were detected when they passed through an X-ray machine.
After opening up the bags, officials came across around a dozen pieces of clothing—including “a cow pajama onesie”—that were “dried stiff and covered in a white residue” that ultimately tested positive for meth (more than a kilogram of the drug was eventually extracted from the clothes).
Matharu was detained while making his way down the bridge to board his flight before being arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute. He was freed on a $10,000 bond and is currently awaiting a trial where he could be sentenced to at least 10 years in prison and possibly end up behind bars for the rest of his life.