110 Pounds Of African Drug Khat Seized At Airport, Disguised As Wigs And Weaves
IMPERIAL, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have seized 110 pounds of an African drug being shipped through Pittsburgh International Airport.
The dried khat (KAT) plants were hidden among wigs hair extensions sent from Kenya and were addressed to someone in McKees, Pennsylvania. There is no such place, but McKees Rocks and McKeesport are both Pittsburgh suburbs.
"It is uncommon for Customs and Border Protection officers to encounter any sizable narcotics in Pittsburgh, so this was a great khat identification and interception by our CBP officers," said Susan Anderson, CBP Port Director for the Port of Pittsburgh. "This khat interception is another example of how CBP's border search authority and inspections expertise contributes to keeping our communities safe."
The plants are legal in Africa, but illegal in the United States. People chew the plant's leaves for a stimulant effect similar to that caused by cocaine.
Authorities say they rarely seize large amounts of illegal drugs at the Pittsburgh airport and don't usually prosecute those who ship khat from Africa. But investigators are trying to determine who was supposed to receive the drugs and whether there was any criminal intent on their part.
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