Meth-soaked T-shirts found hidden in luggage at Los Angeles airport, feds say

An x-ray detecting “anomalies” in luggage at the Los Angeles International Airport resulted in the discovery of meth-soaked T-shirts hidden inside, federal authorities reported.

The drugs were found Nov. 2 in the suitcase of a college student from the United Kingdom bound for Brisbane, Australia, a criminal complaint affidavit said.

When inspectors opened the suitcase following the x-ray, they found white powder residue inside, the document said. It appeared to be leaking from the suitcase lining.

“The methamphetamine was wet and had been caked into approximately 13 white t-shirts that were hidden under the suitcase’s internal lining,” the affidavit said.

The drug-soaked shirts weighed 28 pounds in all, but the methamphetamine could not be removed from the clothing, the document said.

Special Agent Omar Yasin of the Department of Homeland Security, who filed the affidavit, said he believed the methamphetamine was originally a powder that was washed with a solvent to blend it into the T-shirts.

The passenger admitted owning the suitcase and purchasing the T-shirts at a Target store in Los Angeles, but denied knowing anything about the methamphetamine, the affidavit said.

She was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Meth-soaked T-shirts found hidden in luggage at Los Angeles airport, feds say."