2 travelers caught with nearly 850 pounds of khat at BWI airport, CBP says

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized nearly 850 pounds of a substance known as khat from two travelers arriving at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, the agency announced Wednesday. 

The latest bust followed the seizure of more than 400 pounds of the substance at the airport last week. 

"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 Wednesday. "Khat is illegal and poses severe health risks to users. 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."

CBP officials said two men, who are U.S. citizens from New York, arrived from London on Aug. 13 and were referred for a secondary inspection. 

Officers found a significant quantity of what appeared to be tea leaves, and field tests confirmed they were khat, or Catha edulis, CBP said. 

Officials said each man had six suitcases full of the substance, weighing a combined 846 pounds, with the street value of about $100,000.

CBP seized the khat and released the men, pending further investigation. 

What is khat?

Khat can be chewed for its amphetamine-like effect, and some users also boil the dried leaves into a stimulant tea.

It contains two stimulants that affect the central nervous system -- cathinone, which is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, a Schedule IV controlled substance, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Once ingested, symptoms include delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and increased blood pressure and heart rate.

Also known as Abyssinian tea and African salad, khat is typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Recent khat busts at BWI

Wednesday's announcement followed another khat seizure at BWI airport earlier that same week.

CBP said officers discovered 412 pounds of the substance left at baggage claim, including nearly 331 pounds inside five suitcases that arrived from London on Aug. 11 and 81 pounds from a suitcase that arrived on Aug. 12. 

Authorities said that amount had a street value of approximately $50,000.