81 pounds of khat - a methlike substance - seized at airport

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers at Philadelphia International Airport have seized about 81 pounds of an illegal plant that has been compared to cocaine or heroin.

Khat (pronounced COT), a leafy plant typically found in East Africa and the Saudi Arabian Peninsula,contains an amphetamine-like stimulant. Khat is legal in Europe and Africa but not in the United States.

Authorities said it does not have a good shelf life. It loses its narcotic effect after about 48 hours.

CBP officers found two packages containing the drugs on Tuesday and four packages on Thursday, said Steve Sapp, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.

The seizure has an approximate value of over $22,000, and two of the packages from an address in Germany were destined for Philadelphia, Sapp added.

The recent seizures raise the total that CBP khat officers have seized this year to 306 pounds.

Now, Sapp said, it's up to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to further the investigation and possibly see to it that individuals found responsible for the shipment be prosecuted. *