British woman busted at Los Angeles airport with meth-soaked t-shirts
A British university student, Myah Saakwa-Mante, was apprehended at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 13 white T-shirts saturated with methamphetamine. The 20-year-old is facing charges of illegal drug possession with intent to distribute, among other offenses.
According to prosecutors, Saakwa-Mante was caught at LAX on Nov. 2 as she attempted to transport methamphetamine to Australia. Customs officials discovered the contraband inside her luggage after she checked in for her flight to Brisbane.
The methamphetamine was found to be “wet and caked into approximately 13 white T-shirts under the suitcase’s internal lining,” as per the criminal complaint. The rest of the substance had crystallized into a powdery form. The total weight of the T-shirts containing the methamphetamine was around 13 kilograms, or nearly 30 pounds.
Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of methamphetamine in the white powder. Saakwa-Mante was confronted at her boarding gate and admitted that the suitcase and T-shirts were hers. She claimed to have purchased the T-shirts from Target using Apple Pay, providing receipts as proof.
Saakwa-Mante disclosed to authorities that she was a university student from the U.K. visiting the U.S. for two days before heading to Australia to meet her boyfriend, whom she had never met in person. When questioned about the white powder on the T-shirts, she professed ignorance.
Officers escorted Saakwa-Mante to the bag screening area, seized her two iPhones, and subsequently placed her under arrest.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Saakwa-Mante’s court-appointed attorney for a statement.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.