Munich airport officials on Tuesday said they had seized a bumper haul of illicit khat leaves that was on its way to the United States.
The 1.2 metric ton haul — a record amount for the airport — was headed to the US from Dubai, through Germany.
FALSE DECLARATION
Customs officials at the Munich airport discovered the leaves in a cargo shipment that had been declared as "table decoration."
German customs officials often inspect and, if necessary, seize shipments that are only in transit.
"This is the largest amount of khat seized since Munich Airport was established," said Thomas Meister, press front man for Munich's main customs office.
The office said "appropriate proceedings" had been initiated and the goods seized, with the investigation ongoing.
WHAT IS KHAT?
Khat is a regularly used stimulant in the Horn of Africa and parts of the Middle East.
It is chewed and then held in the cheek as the juices are extracted for its stimulant and euphoric effects.
However,
there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened...
it can lead to psychological dependence, depression and paranoid delusions, and is a controlled or banned substance in most of Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...and North America.
The leaf is particularly popular in the Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
i, Æthiopian and Somali cultures.
US officials say khat use there is most prevalent among im