Northridge Man Accused Of Checking Meth-Soaked Luggage At LAX

LOS ANGELES, CA —A Northridge man who attempted to fly out of LAX with two suitcases full of methamphetamine-soaked clothes, pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Monday, according to prosecutors.

Raj Matharu, 31, entered his plea in federal court and faces a January trial date.

According to federal prosecutors, Matharu attempted to board a fight to Sydney after checking luggage filled with clothes caked in methamphetamine on Nov. 6.

However, screening officials at LAX quickly noticed something off about the luggage as they X-rayed the contents.

"The X-ray revealed irregularities and officers pulled the suitcases for a secondary inspection," according to the U.S. Department of Justice. "Upon opening the suitcases, law enforcement found the suitcases contained more than a dozen white or light-colored clothing items that were dried stiff and covered in a white residue. Law enforcement field-tested a sample of the residue, which yielded positive results for methamphetamine. The total weight of the clothing items with the methamphetamine caked into them was approximately 71.5 pounds."

"Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit 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."

Matharu was stopped on the jet bridge to his flight to Australia and later arrested.

He faces between 10 years and life imprisonment if convicted, according to federal prosecutors.