Security officers at Los Angeles International Airport have found people smuggling goods through all kinds of ways.
Beetles disguised as snacks. Drugs liquefied to look like dog shampoo. Even a suitcase full of clothes soaked in methamphetamine.
Now they can add solar panels to the list.
According to a post on X, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at LAX recently discovered nearly 300 pounds of methamphetamine in solar panels. The panels were headed to New Zealand on July 8, according to the agency, and were flagged before they were exported.
“We do this every day. These ‘criminal masterminds’ never stood a chance,” the agency said in the social media post.
The shipment originated from Mexico and there have been no arrests made in connection with the drug seizure, according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, who added that there was no indication that the panels were fake, as initially reported.
In April, customs officers found a little over 17 pounds of liquid methamphetamine disguised as dog shampoo. The colorful methamphetamine was hidden in a dozen plastic bottles at LAX that were in an air cargo shipment destined for Australia, the agency announced in a news release.
Officers found a crystallized white substance on the bottles during an April 1 inspection that tested positive as methamphetamine. It’s unclear if there were any arrests made in connection with the seizure in the U.S. or Australia. The potential street value in Australia was estimated at $1.8 million, according to Customs and Border Protection.
In February, a passenger allegedly tried to smuggle in about $1,500 worth of giant live beetles in snack bags. Last November, a student was arrested after authorities found clothes in her suitcase were allegedly soaked in methamphetamine. She was headed for Australia.
The airport has had more than 9 million international passengers pass through its terminals so far this year, according to LAX statistics.
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