Two travelers arriving from London allegedly packed nearly 850 pounds of khat into 12 suitcases before customs authorities discovered the enormous haul at a Maryland airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the two New York citizens arrived at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on August 13 and were referred for secondary inspection.
During a further baggage inspection, investigators discovered what seemed to be a considerable amount of tea leaves, which eventually tested positive for khat, or Catha edulis, according to CBP.
Authorities stated each tourist had six soft-sided suitcases full of khat. The seized stuff weighed roughly 847 pounds and had an estimated street value of $100,000.
CBP says the men were freed pending additional investigation.
Khat, also called as Abyssinian tea and African salad, is grown primarily in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is chewed for its amphetamine-like effects, according to CBP. Dried khat leaves can also be cooked to produce a stimulating tea.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), khat includes two central nervous system stimulants: cathinone (a Schedule I prohibited substance) and cathine (a Schedule IV controlled substance).
According to the DEA, symptoms of khat poisoning may include delusions, loss of appetite, trouble breathing, and elevated blood pressure and pulse rate.
In 1980, the World Health Organization designated khat as an abused substance.
The discovery came just days after CBP officials recovered an additional 412 pounds of khat from unclaimed traveler baggage at the same airport.
In that case, CBP stated that officials “spooked” a suspected smuggler, who fled the inspection station with the khat behind.
“Customs and Border Protection officers have observed significant amounts of khat being smuggled in commercial shipments, but smuggling loads of this volume inside traveler baggage is a bit unusual, and no longer successful,” CBP’s Baltimore Area Port Director Adam Rottman said in a statement.
“Khat is illegal and poses severe health risks to users,” Rottman continued.
“CBP will continue to seize khat and other dangerous drugs when we encounter it and we will work with our law enforcement partners to hold smugglers accountable.”
CBP officers seized around 46,000 pounds of khat last fiscal year and nearly 20,000 pounds this fiscal year, according to the agency.
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