CBP seizes 847 pounds of khat at Baltimore airport after London flight, with a second large haul at the same terminal within days

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has observed khat arriving in substantial quantities through commercial shipments, which makes the Aug. 13 interception at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport a different read on the flow. Two U.S. citizens from New York, arriving on a flight from London, carried the plant in 12 soft-sided suitcases, six each, and CBP officers seized approximately 847 pounds with an estimated street value of $100,000. A separate 412-pound seizure at the same terminal, from unclaimed traveler baggage, had come just days earlier.

The two travelers were referred for secondary inspection on arrival. A baggage examination turned up what initially appeared to be a large quantity of tea leaves. Testing confirmed the substance as khat, or Catha edulis, and both men were released pending further investigation, CBP said.

The chemistry that places khat in federal scheduling

Khat, also known as Abyssinian tea and African salad, is typically grown in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and chewed for stimulant effects or boiled to produce a tea. The Drug Enforcement Administration identifies two active central nervous system stimulants in the plant: cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance, and cathine, a Schedule IV controlled substance. The World Health Organization designated khat a drug of abuse in 1980. The DEA notes that toxicity symptoms can include delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and elevated blood pressure and heart rate.

Baltimore Area Port Director Adam Rottman said in a statement that CBP officers have observed substantial quantities of khat being smuggled in commercial shipments, but that loads of this volume inside traveler baggage are unusual and, in this case, were no more successful. "Khat is illegal and poses severe health risks to users," Rottman said, adding that the agency will continue working with law enforcement partners to hold smugglers accountable.

The 412-pound seizure that preceded the Aug. 13 haul involved bags left unclaimed at the same terminal after CBP said officers spooked a suspected smuggler who fled the inspection station. Combined, the two hauls at BWI totaled more than 1,250 pounds. CBP seized roughly 46,000 pounds of khat during the last fiscal year and has recorded nearly 20,000 pounds in the current fiscal year so far.