British student held in US for 'trying to smuggle t-shirts soaked in meth' in suitcase

Myah Saakwa-Mante was stopped astatine LAX aft her suitcase was flagged for 'anomalies' - and officers recovered 13 t-shirts 'caked with methamphetamine' hidden nether the interior lining

A British pupil has been arrested astatine Los Angeles International Airport and is being held successful the US connected drug charges aft allegedly trying to smuggle 13 t-shirts soaked with methamphetamine successful her suitcase.

Myah Saakwa-Mante, 20, said she had stopped successful LA for a mates of days portion travelling to Brisbane, Australia, connected a Qantas Airlines formation to conscionable her fellow for the archetypal time. However, her pinkish luggage was flagged for anomalies erstwhile passing done an X-ray instrumentality connected November 2.

Airport officers past searched the suitcase and allegedly recovered achromatic shirts "caked with methamphetamine" which were "hidden nether the suitcase's interior lining", according to tribunal documents. Police said the t-shirts, which were wet, apt contained respective kg of the illicit cause - which could not beryllium separated from the fabric.

According to the transgression complaint, the remainder of the cause had go crystallised into a powdery form. After officers tested the achromatic powder, it showed affirmative results for methamphetamine.

The traveller was stopped astatine her gross astatine LAX and asked astir her suitcase. The transgression ailment said she admitted the suitcase belonged to her and she claimed she had bought the t-shirts from a Target store, utilizing Apple Pay. The pupil said she had receipts of her purchase.

Fox News reported that erstwhile the constabulary asked Saakwa-Mante astir the achromatic pulverization connected the t-shirts, she claimed to person nary cognition of it. The pistillate was past taken to the container screening area, wherever officers seized her 2 iPhones earlier arresting her.

The transgression ailment reads: "After she checked her suitcase, the suitcase was screened pursuant to CBP's planetary formation screening protocols and borderline hunt authority, which is designed successful portion to curb existent narcotics smuggling trends from the United States to Australia. During the archetypal X-ray screening, the suitcase was flagged for further inspection owed to anomalies the screening officers could spot connected the X-ray images that indicated the imaginable beingness of contraband.

"Officers pulled the container for secondary in-person inspection. When they opened up the suitcase, they saw women's covering and idiosyncratic items. The officers besides noticed a achromatic pulverization residue that was escaped successful the suitcase and was disposable connected their achromatic gloves - it appeared to beryllium coming from beneath the suitcase's lining, which they past unzipped arsenic shown below. Beneath the lining of the suitcase, they recovered aggregate achromatic t-shirts that were bedewed and appeared to beryllium caked with a achromatic powdery substance.

"After discovering this achromatic pulverization connected their gloves and further achromatic powdery substance caked into the shirts, officers intercepted SAAKWA-MANTE astatine her gross arsenic she was trying to committee her formation to Australia and brought her to the inspection country with each her idiosyncratic belongings." The pupil has been charged with amerciable cause possession with intent to administer and is presently successful national custody.