Two men are facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 240 pounds of Khat,worth approximately $48,987, following a traffic stop in Wyandot County. On July 27, troopers stopped a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer,with Michigan registration, for a speed violation. An Upper Sandusky Police Department drug-sniffing canine responded and alerted to the vehicle. A probable cause search revealed the contraband.
The suspect, Jesse Naim, 19, ofDearborn, Mich., and Christian Reivera-Ittayem, 20, of DearbornHeights, Mich., were incarcerated in the Wyandot County Jail andcharged with possession of Khat and trafficking in drugs, bothsecond-degree felonies. If convicted, each could face up to 16 yearsin prison and up to a $30,000 fine.
Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The leaves, twig sand shoots of the Khat shrub are chewed like tobacco and is considered a controlled substance.
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