Lankan caught with 'Khat'

30 Dec 2013 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A Sri Lankan arriving from Kenya arrested at the Bandaranaike International Air Port with 50kgs of herbal narcotic 'Khat' which is a banned narcotic in most countries. This is the first time it has been detected in Sri Lanka, Customs said.

According to Wikipedia, Khat or qat is a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Among communities from these areas, khat chewing has a long history as a social custom dating back thousands of years.

Khat contains a monoamine alkaloid called cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence (less than tobacco or alcohol), although WHO does not consider khat to be seriously addictive.

It is a controlled substance in some countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Germany, while its production, sale, and consumption are legal in other nations, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Yemen. (Deepa Adikari)

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Lankan caught with 'Khat'

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