CALGARY – Border officers at Calgary International Airport have seized a large amount of the narcotic khat, authorities revealed this morning.
Canada Border Services Agency officers inspected the luggage of two British nationals arriving in Calgary on a flight from London and allegedly found 31 kilograms of khat, a plant grown that can have a mild halluncinogenic effect when its leaves are chewed.
Khat is grown mainly in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia. Although its use is common — and legal — abroad, it is considered a controlled substance under Canadian law.
Chewing khat can produce feelings of euphoria and increased alertness, but authorities warn that excessive consumption can cause slurred speech, staggering and violence among users.
Melinda Zsuzsanna Meszaros, 36, and Katalin Racsko, 56, both of London, U.K., have each been charged with importation of a controlled substance.
The RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency will be releasing more information about the case later today.
jvanrassel@theherald.canwest.com
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