More than 17 pounds of liquid methamphetamine disguised in dog shampoo bottles at Los Angeles International Airport were discovered earlier this month in a cargo shipment bound for Australia, officials said Wednesday.
The finding was made on April 1 as agents from LAX’s Outbound Enforcement Team were inspecting an outbound consignment labeled “Assorted Dog Shampoos,” according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) news release.
Inside the box, detectives discovered 12 plastic bottles branded as dog shampoo.
“After opening the bottles, CBP officers discovered a crystalized white substance that, after further analysis, tested positive for methamphetamine,” the news release stated.
Officials assessed the methamphetamine’s street value at $1.8 million.
“This interception highlights CBP’s critical outbound mission in detecting, intercepting and seizing potent narcotics heading out of the United States, to countries where illegally imported drugs are sold at a premium,” said CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies.
