Woodbury (MN) Police Seize African Stimulant Khat

StarTribune ^ | 3/17/07 | Chris Serres

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

The discovery of 1,000 pounds of the illegal stimulant khat in a Woodbury storage unit has led to felony drug-possession charges against a Minneapolis couple. Naser Omer Ali, 27, and his wife, Shukria Omer Ali, 25, were arrested March 8 after a Woodbury police officer discovered two bags of khat, a mild narcotic grown in East Africa, in their sport-utility vehicle. Police had pulled them over for an improper lane change and broken taillight.

Police also discovered receipts for ministorage units in Minneapolis, Richfield and Woodbury. Washington County narcotics officers searched all three units, but found khat only in the one in Woodbury. The khat leaves were stored in boxes that appeared to have been shipped from Africa through FedEx.

Police estimate that the khat stored in Woodbury had a street value of $400,000, which makes it one of the largest khat seizures ever in Washington County, said Brett Billmeyer, a sergeant with the Woodbury Police Department. "There have been some khat busts [in Woodbury], but nothing to this extent," he said.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"It hasn't sunk into the Somali consciousness that it's illegal in this country."

Among other things......

[farlander]

Baloney. They know what they were doing - street value of 400k ? Yea. Right. Noone pays 400k for couple bags of leaves that aren't illegal.

[cripplecreek]

Have you ever seen the history channel documentary about the soldiers who were involved in the Blackhawk down fiasco? They talk about the somalis chewing khat and becoming extremely aggressive, often fighting each other.

Not the sort of thing we need to add to the mix of drugs already on our streets.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Oh, come on.....

It's a cultural thing...

You Americans are so hateful!!

/sarc

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I see it every day at work.....

[sbMKE]

Red Bull and Vodka does the same to the frat boys.

[cripplecreek]

I used to work with some crack addicts. The effect sounds similar.

[sushiman]

" a Minneapolis couple. "

Which does not necessarily mean they are American citizens ...

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Yeah, when they leave after third shift, they jump into their taxis and head for the airport.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Minneapolis really is going to hell.

[posterchild]

Woodbury used to be a quiet suburb on the edge of the city. Other than this instance is it still that way? Lived there briefly in the late 1980's.

[preacher]

"Police had pulled them over for an improper lane change and broken taillight."

There are missing details as to what happened.

4th Amendment:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Obviously changing lanes improperly & having a broken taillight must be legal grounds to search a car without a search warrant.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

This is a relatively new thing for Woodbury. However, the badguys are spreading out into neighborhoods where this sort of thing was unheard of a year or two ago.

[Brad from Tennessee]

From Drug Enforcement Agency website:

Khat
Street terms for Khat: (pronounced Cot) Abyssinian tea, African salad, oat, kat, chat, and catha.i Also referred to as qat in Yemen, tschat in Ethiopia, and miraa in Kenya ii

What does Khat look like? iii

* Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
* Khat that is sold and abused is usually just the leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub.

How is Khat used?iv

* Khat is typically chewed like tobacco.
* The fresh leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub are chewed, and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently to release the active drug.
* Dried plant material can be made into tea or a chewable paste.
* Khat can also be smoked and even sprinkled on food.

What are some consequences of Khat use? v

* Common side effects include anorexia, tahycardia, hypertension, insomnia, and gastric disorders.
* Chronic Khat abuse can result in symptoms such as physical exhaustion, violence, and suicidal depression.
* Widespread frequent use of Khat impacts productivity because it tends to reduce worker motivation.
* Khat can induce manic behaviors, hyperactivity, and hallucinations.vi
* There are reports of Khat-induced psychosis.vii

Who uses Khat? viii

* The use of Khat is an established cultural tradition for many social situations in the areas of primary cultivation: East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
* Several million people may currently be using Khat worldwide.
* The largest concentrations of users are in the regions surrounding the Middle East.

How does Khat get to the United States?ix

* Khat, while illegal in the United States, is legal in much of Europe, East Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.
* Individuals of East African and Middle Eastern descent are mot often responsible for the importation, distribution, possession, and use of Khat in the United States.
* Khat is usually shipped already packaged in bundles, and wrapped in plastic bags or banana leaves to retain moisture and freshness.
* Khat is generally smuggled in passenger luggage, overnight express mail, or shipped as air cargo and falsely labeled as "vegetables."

How much does Khat cost?

* Exactly prices are not known, but Khat is a relatively costly drug.x

i "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief, DE

http://www.dea.gov/concern/khat.html

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Well, of course there are missing details. This is Star Tribune story.

They probably didn't object to a search. The khat was probably in plain view.

[Prokopton]

Minneapolis really is going to hell.

It's done gone there already.

[omnivore]

I recall that during the Somalia deployment, the troops referred to khat-chewers as KCMF's.

[preacher]

"Well, of course there are missing details. This is Star Tribune story."

You're right, however:

"They probably didn't object to a search."

Most people think a request to search is not a mere request, but an order. The police are wearing uniforms & are armed. The legal phrase is, "operating under color of law."

Some people believe that a refusal to permit a search is in itself, "reasonable suspicion."

[Prokopton]

Some people believe that a refusal to permit a search is in itself, "reasonable suspicion."

Most of the "people" that believe this are cops.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

Nice to see that the police are focusing on serious crimes like people chewing on leaves.