Pubdate: Wed, 09 Aug 2000 Source: Dominion, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 2000 The Dominion Contact: P O Box 1297, Wellington, New Zealand Fax: +64 4 474-0350 Website: http://www.inl.co.nz/wnl/dominion/index.html CUSTOMS SEIZE KHAT BOXES Forty boxes of the class C drug khat, each weighing between five and seven kilograms, have been seized by Customs so far this year. Most of it had come from Africa through Melbourne, Customs drugs and investigations manager Phil Chitty said. Khat, when smoked, chewed or eaten, made the user euphoric, but had side effects of depression, insomnia and anorexia, Mr Chitty said. No one had been charged with importing the drug, though the packages were addressed to members of the New Zealand Somali and Ethiopian communities, mainly in Wellington and Christchurch, he said. In Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, khat is a legal drug used by much of the population. Because Customs were interested in it from a quarantine perspective and as a drug, little had reached its destination, Mr Chitty said. "And they send it in boxes marked plant material." It was possible that the people who posted it to New Zealand and Australia did not realise it was illegal in New Zealand and Australia, he said. "We are liaising with the Somali community." Customs officials were warning the intended recipients to tell their friends and relatives it was illegal, and would look at further enforcement measures if the imports did not cease. The Somali community did not comment yesterday, but the Refugee Council expected to make a statement today. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk