EDMONTON- RCMP are investigating after a large amount of dried khat (Catha edulis) was seized at the Edmonton International Airport.
On August 20, Canadian Border Services Agency officers were alerted to an air cargo shipment from the United Kingdom; it was declared as green tea. The shipment consisted of 20 boxes, each containing four commercially packaged plastic bags. Inside the bags officers found dried, loose, green leafy plant material, which tested positive as khat.
In total, 160 kilograms of dried khat was seized.
“I commend our CBSA officers for their diligence and vigilance in ensuring this illegal and harmful substance did not enter Canada,” said Lauren D. Delgaty, regional director general, CBSA, Prairie Region. “This seizure sends a strong message that the CBSA will not allow our borders to be used for illegal activity.”
Khat is a plant that can be chewed for its amphetamine-like stimulant.
This is the largest khat seizure for the CBSA this year, and the 24th in Alberta.
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