Mar 19, 2007 10:43 am US/Central
$400K Worth Of Khat Seized By Police
Woodbury, Minn. (AP) ―
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Khat is legal in many countries, including most of Europe, but it's illegal in the U.S. (File)
DEA
A Minneapolis couple faces drug charges after police discovered 1,000 pounds of the illegal stimulant khat.
Naser Omer Ali, 27, and his Shukria Omer Ali, 25, were arrested earlier this month. A Woodbury police officer who pulled them over found two bags of khat in their SUV.
Police also found more than $10,000 in cash on the couple and in their vehicle, and receipts for storage units in the metro area.
Narcotics officers later searched a storage locker in Woodbury and found boxes of dried khat leaves that were apparently shipped from Africa.
Police estimate the khat had a street value of $400,000, making it one of the largest khat busts ever in Washington County.
"There have been some khat busts (in Woodbury), but nothing to this extent," said Brett Billmeyer, a sergeant with the Woodbury Police Department.
Last week, the Washington County attorney's office charged Naser Ali and Shukria Ali with a fifth-degree-controlled-substance crime, a felony.
Khat is legal in many countries, including most of Europe, but it's illegal in the United States. Experts say it's popular among East African immigrants, who use it to stay awake and liven up social gatherings.
Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Center in St. Paul, said, "This is integral to our culture." He added, "It hasn't sunk into the Somali consciousness that it's illegal in this country."
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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