Men suspected of importing exotic drug to appear in court

Men suspected of importing exotic drug to appear in court


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(KSL News) Two men accused of importing a narcotic African plant will appear in federal court today.

Patrick Bahati and Sherif Sirage were arrested earlier this week when they tried to claim a large shipment of "khat" at the Salt Lake International Airport.

The packages were labeled "spices for personal use" which made customs agents suspicious.

John Glaittli of U.S. Customs & Border Protection said, "That's a lot of spices for personal use, so we just felt it prudent to find out what was in it."

Khat is a narcotic commonly used by Eastern African immigrants.

Law enforcement agents say it produces a high similar to that of methamphetamines.

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