California man arrested, accused of attempting to smuggle drugs in T-shirts

SALT LAKE CITY – A man was indicted in California on Tuesday, accused of attempting to smuggle methamphetamine-laced clothes from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Raj Matharu, 31, was indicted Tuesday and is set to be arraigned on Dec. 2.

According to a criminal complaint against Matharu, he attempted to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 6.

Matharu’s bags were X-rayed during the boarding process, and officers noticed an anomaly. The bags were loaded with clothing covered in white powder.

During a further inspection of the luggage, officers found clothes that were coated in methamphetamine powder, according to the filed complaint.

Later in the investigation, investigators were able to extract over a kilogram of meth from the clothing, according to the Attorney’s Office’s press release.

The complaint also states that during an interview with Homeland Security investigators, Matharu invoked his right to counsel, effectively terminating the interview process.

“Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illegal profit – as alleged in the facts of this case,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.”