Philly CBP’s 167-Pound Khat Seizure Results in Minneapolis Arrest

Philadelphia – For the second time in less than one month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized a 100-plus pounds load of khat at an express mail facility near Philadelphia International Airport. Minneapolis Police arrested Abdirazak Barre Aden, 35, December 18, 2013 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia seized 167 pounds of khat Monday that were destined for Aden. This seizure ended in the arrest of a man in Minneapolis. CBP officers seized a combined 167 pounds of khat Monday that arrived in two wooden crates from France. The crates, which were destined to Minnesota, were manifested as nose bars for textile machines. An x-ray examination revealed a green leafy plant instead of machinery parts. CBP officers confirmed the contents to be khat after opening the crates. The khat has an estimated street value of about $50,000. CBP shipped the parcels to the Minneapolis Police Department who arrested Abdirazak Barre Aden, 35, on narcotics charges. Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted. In the previous seizure, November 26, CBP officers seized a combined 112 pounds of khat that arrived in three international air parcels from Austria and were destined for Connecticut and Illinois. Khat is a green, leafy plant typically grown in the Arabian Peninsula and chewed for its stimulant effect. The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies khat as a schedule 1 narcotic – the most restrictive category used by the DEA – when the leaves are freshly picked. Its principal components, cathine and cathinone, are considered controlled substances in the United States. The World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse in 1980. It is chewed for its stimulant effect and retains its potency for up to 48 hours after being harvested.