Image: US Customs and Border Protection

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has intercepted approximately 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed within solar panels at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

According to a statement released via the agency’s official Facebook account, the illicit shipment was destined for New Zealand and was flagged prior to export based on intelligence insights. CBP did not disclose further details regarding the investigation.

Photos shared by the agency show officers dismantling solar modules to uncover tightly packed bricks of meth hidden within the aluminum frames.

“This is what we do every day,” the agency noted. “These ‘criminal masterminds’ never stood a chance.”

While drug traffickers have previously used solar panels to power illegal operations, this marks the first publicly known case where solar modules themselves were used as a concealment method for smuggling drugs.