WASHINGTON, Nov 17: A British university student’s dream trip to meet her boyfriend in Australia has turned into a nightmare after she was accused of trying to smuggle meth-soaked t-shirts through Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles Times reported.
Myah Saakwa-Mante, 20, was stopped at LAX while attempting to board a Qantas flight to Brisbane on November 2.
Police Found Methamphetamine-Soaked T-Shirts
Inside her pink suitcase, customs officers reportedly found 13 white t-shirts, purchased from a Target store, that were allegedly “caked with methamphetamine.”
The shirts were described as slightly damp and hidden under the suitcase’s lining, according to court filings from the Central District of California.
Student Stayed in US For Two Days
Saakwa-Mante claimed she was on a short stopover in Los Angeles before continuing to Australia to meet her boyfriend for the first time. She told officers she had bought the shirts using Apple Pay and even offered to provide receipts for her purchases.
“She said she’d been in Los Angeles for just two days,” a U.S. Homeland Security agent said.
“She claimed the t-shirts were part of her shopping during her stay and insisted she was on her way to meet her boyfriend, whom she had never met in person.”
Saakwa Faces Drug Smuggling Charge
The suitcase was flagged during an X-ray screening, prompting a search that revealed the suspiciously wet shirts, described as impossible to separate due to the drug residue.
Saakwa-Mante now faces a drug smuggling charge and is being held in the U.S. as her case unfolds.
The circumstances surrounding her trip—and the meth-soaked shirts—have left authorities and the public questioning whether this was a deliberate smuggling attempt or an unfortunate misunderstanding.
