Police find 750kg of Khat in busts
In the 24-hour period from Wednesday morning, January 29, to the following Thursday morning, the police managed to cease 750kg of Khat in three different busts. After being tipped off, police pulled over a truck that had just crossed over with the ferry from Britain.
The 29-year-old Polish driver was arrested, after a search of the truck on the premises of the ferry, in Hoek van Holland, came up with 625 kilos of Khat. The soft drugs were packaged in 125 boxes. A 33-year-old driver from Ede was pulled over on the Apeldoornseweg in Arnhem and arrested with two bundles of Khat and a few thousand euros. After the police observed the driver running a red light, almost hitting a scooter, and driving erratically, he was pulled over.The driver admitted being under the influence of the soft drug, and made a drowsy impression. A lab test will have to reveal what the driver used. Because of the amount of money found, the two passengers (43 and 50), also from Ede, were also arrested on suspicion of money laundering. In the night from Wednesday on Thursday police spotted two cars on the Oldegaarde in Rotterdam, following each other. One with a Dutch, and one with a British license plate. After briefly observing the cars, they pulled them over. A search turned up 26 boxes of Khat with a total weight of 106 kilos. The drugs were ceased and destroyed. The drivers, a 36-year-old male from Veldhoven, and a 35-year-old male from Gorinchem, were arrested. Khat, Qat, Kat, or Mira is a stimulating soft drug, from the Qat plant. Chewing the leaves drives off fatigue and hunger. The most important active ingredient in Khat has amphetamine-like trades and causes euphoria after 1,5 to 4 hours after chewing. However, frequent use seems to lower the self-control of the user, and subsequently increases aggression, according to researcher Dr. Lorenza Colzato. Since January 5th 2013 the Dutch Opium Act was changed to include Khat. The drug is considered psychologically and physically addictive and long-term use is harmful to the user.
