A 20-year-old student from the United Kingdom, Myah Saakwa-Mante, is facing federal charges after customs agents discovered over a dozen methamphetamine-soaked T-shirts in her luggage at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) earlier this month. According to CBS News, Saakwa-Mante was on her way to Brisbane, Australia, after a two-day stay in Los Angeles when the unusual discovery was made, raising questions about the sophistication of modern drug smuggling methods.
Photo: United States Central District of California Court
How authorities discovered the meth-soaked T-shirts
Court documents showed that Saakwa-Mante’s pink suitcase was flagged for further inspection by TSA security officers on November 2 after an X-ray scan detected anomalies in the bag’s contents. TSA officers found jeans, shoes, a Louis Vuitton bag inside the suitcase, and a far more concerning discovery: a white powder residue loose in the suitcase, visible on the officers’ gloves. Upon further inspection, agents discovered 13 neatly folded white T-shirts that were soaking wet and, as an affidavit cited by The LA Times noted, “caked with a white, powdery substance.”
The T-shirts, which appeared to be ordinary Target-brand garments, had been soaked with methamphetamine in a liquid form. According to Fox News, the meth-soaked shirts weighed nearly 30 pounds, and investigators believe they contained several kilograms of the illicit drug.
Photo: United States Central District of California Court
“Due to the moisture, the suspected methamphetamine was caked into the T-shirts and so could not be separated,” according to the documents.
The meth smuggling scheme: How the drug was concealed
The drugs had likely been dissolved into a solvent and then absorbed into the shirts, leaving behind a powdered residue once the solvent evaporated, investigators said. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Omar Yasin explained that the methamphetamine was “originally in a powder form and then washed using a solvent before being melded into the fabric,” according to an affidavit cited by CBS News.
Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock
In addition, officers said that they noticed white powder residue inside the suitcase and visible on their black gloves while sifting through the luggage’s contents, CBS News reported.
Saakwa-Mante had receipts but denied knowledge of the meth
When questioned by officers, Saakwa-Mante reportedly admitted to purchasing the T-shirts at a Target store using Apple Pay, and she even had receipts to confirm the transaction. However, she denied any knowledge of the methamphetamine, maintaining that she was unaware of how the shirts became soaked with the drug.
Saakwa-Mante stated that she was traveling to meet her boyfriend for the first time. According to Fox News, authorities are continuing to investigate whether she was acting as an unwitting mule or if she was knowingly involved in the smuggling operation.
Related
Does TSA PreCheck Or CLEAR Provide A Better Airport Security Experience?
The US Department of Security offers several trusted traveler programs for low-risk passengers to save time in security. Its TSA PreCheck program allows passengers to go through security without removing their move shoes, laptops, liquids, belts, or light jackets.
The CLEAR Program (which is also an enrolment provider for PreCheck) saves passengers time in a slightly different manner by verifying the traveler’s identity biometrically at a kiosk before an agent escorts the passenger directly to the front of the PreCheck or Standard security lane.
The TSA claims wait times for PreCheck members are less than 10 minutes, while the time can vary with CLEAR. Many people also maintain memberships in both programs. Which program have you found saves you the most time at the airport?
Saakwa-Mante was taken into custody and accused of illegally possessing methamphetamine with the intention of distributing it, VICE reported. Her attorney has sought her release before trial, with a hearing set to discuss the matter, but prosecutors have argued that she poses a “serious risk” of fleeing if released.
ABC7 Eyewitness News recently reported that Los Angeles, along with its surrounding areas, is considered the primary hub for drug activity in the United States. According to US Attorney Martin Estrada, Mexican cartels heavily rely on the region to smuggle drugs into the country, from where they are distributed both across the US and internationally.
