NEWARK (1010 WINS) – More than six tons of the illegal stimulant khat were seized at the Port of New York in Newark, U.S. customs authorities said Friday.
On June 3, 10,685 pounds of the drug was found in a container, according to authorities, who said the shipment was manifested as 90 pieces of peppermint matcha tea leaves from Kenya destined for Minnesota.
Four days later on June 7, another 2,969 pounds of khat was uncovered during the examination of another container. Authorities said the shipment was manifested as 119 pieces of herbal foot soak from South Africa destined for Pennsylvania.
In all, 13,654 pounds, or about 6.8 tons, of khat with an estimated street value of $3.8 million was seized from the two containers, authorities said. The khat is being stored pending its destruction as Homeland Security investigates.
“These khat seizures demonstrates Customs and Border Protection officers’ effectiveness at searching through the haystack of tens of thousands of international containers to find the proverbial needle of illicit contraband,” said Marty Raybon, CBP’s acting director for the New York Field Office.
Customs officials described khat as a “green, leafy plant typically grown in the Arabian Peninsula and many parts of Africa” that is chewed for its stimulant effect. It is a schedule 1 drug in the U.S.
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