U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials thwarted a bold smuggling attempt at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport last week.
According to a CBP release published on Tuesday, officers found 331 pounds of khat—a controlled substance with an amphetamine-like effect—inside five duffel bags that were left on the baggage carousel after the flight from London on August 11.
An additional bag containing 81 more pounds of khat arrived the next day, bringing the total to 412 pounds and four ounces, with an estimated street value of approximately $50,000.
Sometimes referred to as Abyssinian tea or African salad, khat is grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Users can chew it or dried khat leaves are boiled to create a stimulant tea. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified khat as a drug of abuse as far back as 1980.
Using baggage tags, CBP officers were able to identify the traveler who checked the bags but were unable to contact them. The individual is confirmed to have cleared CBP inspection at BWI.
"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," Adam Rottman, CBP’s Area Port Director in Baltimore, said in a statement.
"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," he added.
CBP officers and agents have already seized nearly 19,000 pounds of khat during the first nine months of this fiscal year after seizing about 46,000 pounds of khat the previous fiscal year, the agency said.
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