A California man has been charged after allegedly trying to fly with 71 pounds of methamphetamine-laced clothes

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced that a California man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after he allegedly tried to check two suitcases filled with methamphetamine-laced clothing, including a onesie shaped like cow pajamas.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, prosecutors indicted Raja Matharu, 31, on one count of possession of a drug with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Matharu is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

He is released on $10,000 bail.

“Drug traffickers continually devise creative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs in pursuit of illicit profits, as the facts of this case allege,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “In the process, they are poisoning communities around the world. “Law enforcement is committed to combating drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves a life.”

Court documents say Matharu was preparing to board an overnight United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, on November 6 when he tried to check two pieces of luggage, a pink suitcase and a gray suitcase. The officers carrying out the inspection x-rayed the suitcases and, after discovering “anomalies”, took them out for a “secondary inspection”.

According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, when law enforcement officers unpacked the suitcases, they found various “white or light-colored clothing that was stiff and covered with a white residue.” Officers field tested a sample of the residue and obtained positive results for the presence of methamphetamine.

The total weight of the methamphetamine-laced clothing items was approximately 71.5 pounds.

In the pink suitcase, Customs and Border Protection officers found white residue on five white T-shirts, eight pairs of women’s underwear, 19 pairs of socks, two sports bras, three T-shirts, two towels, one cardigan, one hoodie, one fleece sweater , onesie pajamas and two sweaters.

In the gray suitcase, officers found white residue on two towels, six pairs of socks, five boxer shorts, seven T-shirts, one pair of sweatpants, two pairs of jeans, four hoodies, one polo shirt, two button-down shirts and one long shirt. top with sleeves.

In an affidavit, Homeland Security Investigations agent Megan Palmer wrote in part: “I believe that in this case the white methamphetamine was ‘washed’ into the white clothing and left to dry.”

“Based on my training and experience,” Palmer added, “I know that over time in room temperature or cold environments, the solution will evaporate and then the powdered methamphetamine will separate from the shirt, forming a white precipitate.”

According to the complaint, Matharu was intercepted at the LAX airport gate and detained on the morning of November 7. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.