CBP Seizes 412 Pounds of Khat at BWI, Valued at $50,000
Updated
Updated · WBAL TV Baltimore · Aug 18
CBP Seizes 412 Pounds of Khat at BWI, Valued at $50,000
3 articles · Updated · WBAL TV Baltimore · Aug 18
Summary
Six suitcases holding nearly 412 pounds of khat were seized at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after officers found five duffel bags left on a baggage carousel on Aug. 11 and another bag the next day.
CBP said the bags arrived from a London flight, and testing confirmed the leaves inside—initially appearing to be tea—were khat, a controlled substance in the United States.
Adam Rottman, CBP's Baltimore area port director, said a vigilant officer likely spooked the traveler and disrupted an attempt to smuggle a substantial quantity of the drug into the country.
Baggage tags helped officers identify the traveler, but CBP said attempts to reach the person directly or through the airline were unsuccessful.
Khat, typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and chewed for an amphetamine-like effect, had an estimated street value of $50,000.