We read about seizures of cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana all the time. But have you heard of khat? A recent National Post article reported that khat is most commonly seized drug at airports in Canada. Teen Challenge responds. At Teen Challenge, students report using a wide variety of drugs and khat is a growing concern. Khat is a close cousin to ecstasy and amphetamines, giving users a similar euphoric high. Khat is harvested from plants native to Africa and the Middle East and is one of the largest cash crops for Yemen. Airports are chosen points of entry because fresh khat gives a better high than dried khat, and so optimally is shipped and sold within 48 hours of harvest.

For more information about khat, and other drugs click here.

Read the article below.

Torontonians love their khat, border agents find

Posted: January 15, 2010, 5:10 PM by Rob Roberts

By Adrian Humphreys, National Post

Toronto-area border guards stopped about $240-million worth of illicit drugs from reaching the marketplace, with more than half of it found hidden in commercial shipments, according to information released today by Canada Border Services Agency.

About $124-million worth of drugs were seized by the agency’s commercial operations while about $100-million was seized from passengers at Pearson International airport with the remainder, about $17-million, found in packages mailed into the city from abroad, the agency reported.

CBSA officers also made 150 prohibited weapons and devices seizures and 675 currency and proceeds of crime seizures as well as removing more than 5,500 inadmissible people — 580 of them deemed inadmissible for criminality, the agency reported.

Of the drugs seized, the most commonly found was khat, an African plant with stimulant properties, which accounted for 1,400 incidents although quantity or value of khat was not released.

There were 245 cocaine seizures, amounting to 798 kilograms; 123 marijuana finds amounting to 826 kilograms; 56 heroin caches for an accumulative weight of 101 kilograms; 1,460 kilograms of hash was confiscated in 36 incidents; and 22 times officers came across opium for a total of 273 kilograms.

CBSA reported 3,100 seizures of other drugs, including valium, diazepam, amphetamines and steroids.

Find the article here