Two travelers arriving from London were apprehended at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on August 13 with approximately 850 pounds of khat concealed within 12 suitcases. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers referred the two New York residents for secondary inspection, where a search of their luggage revealed what initially appeared to be tea leaves.
Subsequent testing confirmed the substance to be khat, also known as Catha edulis, a plant native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat is chewed for its amphetamine-like stimulant effects or brewed into a tea. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), khat contains cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
The seized khat weighed approximately 847 pounds and has an estimated street value of $100,000. The two men were released pending further investigation. CBP stated that while large quantities of khat are sometimes found in commercial shipments, smuggling such volumes in traveler baggage is unusual and unsuccessful.
"Khat is illegal and poses severe health risks to users," said CBP's Baltimore Area Port Director Adam Rottman. "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."
This seizure follows another significant khat bust at the same airport just days prior, where 412 pounds of the substance were discovered in unclaimed luggage. In that instance, a suspected smuggler fled from inspection officers, leaving the khat behind.
Khat has been classified as a drug of abuse by the World Health Organization since 1980. Symptoms of khat toxicity can include delusions, difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and loss of appetite, according to the DEA. CBP reported seizing approximately 46,000 pounds of khat in the last fiscal year and nearly 20,000 pounds in the current fiscal year to date.