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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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[VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat
#14478171 - 05/19/11 11:48 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat May 19, 2011 - Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Authorities have arrested 18 people in four states, including 10 from northern Virginia, for what they allege was an international trafficking ring that distributed nearly 10,000 pounds of the illegal African drug known as khat.
Federal prosecutors in Alexandria charged Yonis M. Ishak of Arlington as the conspiracy's ringleader. He allegedly paid a network of couriers $1,000 each for trips to London to fetch fresh batches of khat, a leaf that gives users a high when chewed.
The drug is popular in East Africa. Of the 18 arrested, all were natives of either Somalia or Yemen.
John Torres, a special agent in charge with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, estimated the drug's street value at $5 million.
Arrests were also made in Maryland, New York and Ohio.
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argg
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: veggie]
#14478212 - 05/19/11 11:55 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Can you imagine if coffee was banned? You would have the hills brothers getting busted for a hundred million dollar drug ring.
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Ogla



Registered: 02/16/04
Posts: 11,321
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: argg]
#14478462 - 05/19/11 12:50 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Is khat what Steveo from jackass was snorting in that one episode of wild boyz while in Africa? Doesn't seem to be a very common street drug, but interesting.
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grimR
hippiousmaximous



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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Ogla]
#14478539 - 05/19/11 01:06 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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khat is a leaf. maybe extract?
-------------------- - grimR -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- http://egolost.com "I am already given to the power that rules my fate. And I cling to nothing, so I will have nothing to defend. I have no thoughts, so I will see. I fear nothing, so I will remember myself." - Don Juan teachings
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argg
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: grimR]
#14478755 - 05/19/11 01:54 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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I bet its just leaf they got caught with.
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Mushie23
Entheogens



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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: argg]
#14478949 - 05/19/11 02:25 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Either way, 5 tons? That's a crazy amount for any drug.
-------------------- Eat Mushrooms----plug into life and nature.
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Synth Ethics
substitution


Registered: 05/18/09
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Mushie23]
#14479056 - 05/19/11 02:48 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mushie23 said: Either way, 5 tons? That's a crazy amount for any drug.
especially when you consider it's 5 tons of LEAF!
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tito123


Registered: 01/23/10
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Synth Ethics]
#14479833 - 05/19/11 05:21 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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how come theres a bust every few months but its not common at all?
acid doesnt have huge busts every year but everyone knows someone who has taken it or can get it
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Ogla



Registered: 02/16/04
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: tito123]
#14479905 - 05/19/11 05:33 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Khat is used to make bath salts
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Cognitive_Shift
CS actual




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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: tito123]
#14479909 - 05/19/11 05:34 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
tito123 said: how come theres a bust every few months but its not common at all?
acid doesnt have huge busts every year but everyone knows someone who has taken it or can get it
You can fit a millions doses of acid in a back pack. That's why there is never a bulk busts, except for when the feds get a rat.
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Konyap

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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Cognitive_Shift]
#14479999 - 05/19/11 05:56 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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you can use beans to make caffine...
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argg
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Ogla]
#14480394 - 05/19/11 07:05 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
losfreddy said: Khat is used to make bath salts
no
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The Whale

Registered: 11/01/10
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Ogla]
#14480622 - 05/19/11 07:50 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
losfreddy said: Khat is used to make bath salts
Don't spread misinformation.
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Society
Mmmm... pizza



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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: The Whale]
#14481117 - 05/19/11 09:19 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Khat is used to make bath towels and shampoo, too.
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Ogla



Registered: 02/16/04
Posts: 11,321
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: argg]
#14481338 - 05/19/11 09:53 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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My bad I thought it was. Didn't really research it much. A friend told me that. Guess it was bad info
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Ogla



Registered: 02/16/04
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Ogla]
#14481373 - 05/19/11 10:01 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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I'm bitching him out right now
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argg
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Ogla]
#14481433 - 05/19/11 10:14 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Its related but its like saying cocaine is used to make lidocaine used at the dentist. It is not. Bath salts are all synthetic while khat is grown and harvested then sold like coffee from large plantations. Its like coffee in some countries with set breaks for it during the day.
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Quake3
Total Carbohydrate




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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: argg]
#14481928 - 05/19/11 11:51 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Some chemicals in bath salts are analogues of methcathinone (khat contains cathinone(s.))
5 tons is a lot but khat is only useful if it's fresh so I'd say 90% of that is water weight.
Khat is chewed for a stimulating effect. From my experience with caffeine, coke and the methcathinones, I'd guess the buzz is mild, lying between caffeine and coke. This drug would only be a problem if supply ran out like tea, coffee, and tobacco.
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Darwin23
INFJ



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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Quake3]
#14487343 - 05/20/11 11:05 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Yeah, I'm sure they weren't selling it as Khat. You can make bath salts with it. If they're smart they'd wait until it's banned, because even though some people say there won't be an illegaql market for bath salts, I've already heard of people buying it illegally in PA.
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argg
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Re: [VA] 18 charged with trafficking nearly 5 tons of khat [Re: Darwin23]
#14487473 - 05/20/11 11:34 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Darwin23 said: Yeah, I'm sure they weren't selling it as Khat. You can make bath salts with it. If they're smart they'd wait until it's banned, because even though some people say there won't be an illegaql market for bath salts, I've already heard of people buying it illegally in PA.

Lets see import tons of banned substance into the county to extract it then have to change it to turn it into 4mmc or whatever then market it or just order a kilo for 1500-3900 bucks from india/china. Maybe just order it then when that chem gets banned order a new version and so on.
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Edited by argg (05/20/11 11:40 PM)
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