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

Myah Saakwa-Mante was stopped at LAX after her suitcase was flagged for 'anomalies' - and officers found 13 t-shirts 'caked with methamphetamine' hidden under the internal lining

A British student has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and is being held in the US on drug charges after allegedly trying to smuggle 13 t-shirts soaked with methamphetamine in her suitcase.

Myah Saakwa-Mante, 20, said she had stopped in LA for a couple of days while travelling to Brisbane, Australia, on a Qantas Airlines flight to meet her boyfriend for the first time. However, her pink luggage was flagged for anomalies when passing through an X-ray machine on November 2.

Airport officers then searched the suitcase and allegedly found white shirts "caked with methamphetamine" which were "hidden under the suitcase's internal lining", according to court documents. Police said the t-shirts, which were wet, likely contained several kg of the illicit drug - which could not be separated from the fabric.

According to the criminal complaint, the rest of the drug had become crystallised into a powdery form. After officers tested the white powder, it showed positive results for methamphetamine.

The traveller was stopped at her gate at LAX and asked about her suitcase. The criminal complaint said she admitted the suitcase belonged to her and she claimed she had bought the t-shirts from a Target store, using Apple Pay. The student said she had receipts of her purchase.

Fox News reported that when the police asked Saakwa-Mante about the white powder on the t-shirts, she claimed to have no knowledge of it. The woman was then taken to the bag screening area, where officers seized her two iPhones before arresting her.

The criminal complaint reads: "After she checked her suitcase, the suitcase was screened pursuant to CBP's international flight screening protocols and border search authority, which is designed in part to curb current narcotics smuggling trends from the United States to Australia. During the initial X-ray screening, the suitcase was flagged for further inspection due to anomalies the screening officers could see on the X-ray images that indicated the potential presence of contraband.

"Officers pulled the bag for secondary in-person inspection. When they opened up the suitcase, they saw women's clothing and personal items. The officers also noticed a white powder residue that was loose in the suitcase and was visible on their black gloves - it appeared to be coming from beneath the suitcase's lining, which they then unzipped as shown below. Beneath the lining of the suitcase, they found multiple white t-shirts that were wet and appeared to be caked with a white powdery substance.

"After discovering this white powder on their gloves and additional white powdery substance caked into the shirts, officers intercepted SAAKWA-MANTE at her gate as she was trying to board her flight to Australia and brought her to the inspection area with all her personal belongings." The student has been charged with illegal drug possession with intent to distribute and is currently in federal custody.