Two New York men were released pending investigation after CBP officers found nearly 850 pounds of khat hidden in their luggage at a Maryland airport.
The two U.S. Citizens arrived at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Aug. 13 on a flight from London, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officers referred both men for secondary inspection, where a baggage examination revealed what appeared to be a large quantity of tea leaves.
Field tests identified the substance as khat, or Catha edulis, CBP said. Each traveler had six soft-sided suitcases filled with the drug. The seized material weighed approximately 847 pounds and had an estimated street value of about $100,000.
“Customs and Border Protection officers have observed substantial quantities of khat being smuggled in commercial shipments, but smuggling loads of this volume inside traveler baggage is a bit unusual, and not any more 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.”
The men were released pending further investigation, CBP said. Officials did not publicly identify the travelers.
Khat, also known as Abyssinian tea and African salad, is typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and is chewed for its amphetamine-like effects, according to CBP. Dried khat leaves can also be boiled to make a stimulant tea.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, khat contains two central nervous system stimulants — cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, a Schedule IV controlled substance. Symptoms of khat toxicity can include delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing and increased blood pressure and heart rate, according to the DEA.
The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980.
The discovery came just days after CBP officers seized another 412 pounds of khat from unclaimed traveler baggage at the same airport. In that case, CBP said officers “spooked” a suspected smuggler, who fled the inspection station and left the khat behind.
On Aug. 11, officers recovered nearly 331 pounds of khat from five suitcases left at a baggage carousel following a flight from London. An additional suitcase containing 81 pounds arrived on Aug. 12, bringing that seizure total to approximately 412 pounds, 4 ounces with an estimated street value of $50,000.
“It’s clear that a very vigilant Customs and Border Protection officer spooked this traveler and foiled an attempt to smuggle a substantial amount of a controlled substance into the United States,” Rottman said of the earlier incident. “Intercepting dangerous drugs along our nation’s borders remains one of our priority missions, and it is one way in which CBP can help keep our communities safe.”
CBP officers seized roughly 46,000 pounds of khat last fiscal year and nearly 20,000 pounds during the current fiscal year so far, according to the agency.