FILE: An Australian woman was arrested at SFO after a random luggage search for smuggling 44-pounds of meth, officials said.

A 25-year-old Australian woman has been arraigned on felony drug trafficking charges in San Mateo County after authorities allegedly found 44 pounds of methamphetamine in her checked luggage at San Francisco International Airport.

Yasmin Van Tongeren, 25, was arrested on Friday while attempting to board a flight to Brisbane, Australia. According to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, baggage screeners at SFO uncovered 20 sealed bags of meth hidden in her suitcase, along with vacuum-sealed packaging materials and coffee-stained cloths — a smuggling tactic to mask drug scents.

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Van Tongeren has pleaded not guilty, the DA said. According to jail records, the charges include possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, transportation of a controlled substance and second-degree burglary. 

The DA says Van Tongeren had been in the U.S. for about a week before her........

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