Nearly 100 kg of Khat drug seized

Nearly 100 kg of new drug called Khat leaves were discovered in 11 parcels at the Customs Department from Vietnam to foreign countries via international post and have just been returned to Vietnam.

Nearly 100kg of Khat drug seized - Photo: THAN HOANG

On September 22, the Hanoi Customs Department coordinated with the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department (General Department of Customs) and the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (C47), Ministry of Public Security to search 11 parcels at the Express Customs Branch, which were goods sent from Vietnam to some European countries and had just been returned to Vietnam.

The test results discovered that these 11 parcels contained nearly 100kg of dried herbal leaves suspected to be Khat (also known as “paradise” leaves).

This Khat leaf contains Cathinone - an extremely strong drug on the list of drugs absolutely banned from use in medicine and social life.

All of the above goods were under the name of one sender, Pham Van Duy, address in Lao Cai, sent to several European countries.

The authorities have taken samples and sent them to the Institute of Criminal Science of the Ministry of Public Security for examination and sealed the Khat drug to serve the investigation and handling according to the provisions of law.

According to the Institute of Criminal Science of the Ministry of Public Security, the toxicity of Khat leaves is many times stronger than that of crystal meth and cocaine, and 500 times stronger than other common drugs.

According to TNO