police arrest a man for something most of us have never heard

[Jacaylbaro]

Rockford has a major drug problem, but police arrest a man for something most of us have never heard

 

On Monday, Ahmed Hussen Hassan of Chicago, 32, was arrested after he took possession of a package mailed from overseas to a hilton hotel in the area of East State Street and Interstate 90. Police claim the package contained more than 15 pounds of khat, a shrub that grows in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

 

"The package was intercepted in Philadelphia," says John Biffany, commander of the State Line Area Narcotics Team. "It had originated in China, went to Switzerland, Germany and then to Philadelphia."

 

Biffany says khat is hard to find in Rockford.

 

"We have had cases in the past, but it is not as prevalent as it is in communities with large Somali or Yemeni or Ethiopian cultures," he says. "It's popular in Chicago, where there's that community, it's popular in Minneapolis, where I believe there are 60,000 Somalis.

 

Scott Nelson, a drug expert at Rosecrance Treatment Center, says khat can be extremely addictive.

 

"It produces euphoria," he says. "And the effects are also somewhat similar to let's say crack cocaine or methamphetamine, but not as strong."

 

Nelson says when it's fresh, khat looks like basil.

 

"Sometimes it's brewed as a tea, sometimes it's chewed like tobacco. It can be smoked, and it can also for instance be sprinkled on food," Nelson says.

 

On Tuesday afternoon Hassan was in the Winnebago County jail, with bail set at $500,000.

[Som@li]

why not start planting it instead of importing?

[Kool_Kat]

Originally posted by J.a.c.a.y.l.b.a.r.o:

Nelson says when it's fresh, khat looks like basil.

 

"Sometimes it's brewed as a tea, sometimes it's chewed like tobacco. It can be smoked, and it can also for instance be sprinkled on food," Nelson says.

Are they talking about basil or khat? Brewed as a tea? :confused: Smoked? Really!!! SPRINKLED ON FOOD? WTF!!!!!!!!!

 

Waligey mamaqal waxaan, cunid lee ku ogaa Khatka...Sheeko cusub waaye tan... :eek: :eek:

[Cara.]

^It's new to me too. I'm worried it's gonna start giving the men ideas. At least with chewing it's a time-consuming and socially unattractive way to go about it. Imagine if they start carrying gallons of the stuff in travel mugs for commuting, or roll it into joints for a 15 minute smoke break :confused:

[STOIC]

The day I promised myself never to get close to that thing was when a friend called me from DC wanting me to pick up two killos of khat for him from a friends house in Philly.The damn thing was fresh straight from Nairobi via JFK in NYC.Though I have tried Khat I don't use it. I was helping a friend and I was that close throwing everything out the window when a police stopped me for taking the wrong turn.Luckilly I was heading to the guys house when the cop stopped me.What if I had the thing with me and the cop searched my car? This thing is dangerous and it can put you behind bars and kill your career instantly...Xoogsadha laidahaa khat lama xariftamoow....