French customs make record khat seizure on Eurotunnel
The contraband was found in a van driven by a Latvian, Laurent Pasquier the local head of customs.
LILLE (AFP) - French customs officers have seized two tonnes of khat, a plant with a mild stimulant effect and classed as a drug in several European nations, on the British side of the Eurotunnel.
The contraband was found Thursday in a van driven by a Latvian, Laurent Pasquier, the local head of customs told AFP Saturday.
The Latvian is being held in custody.
Pasquier said it was the biggest ever seizure of khat in the tunnel. Last year, a total of 49 tonnes of khat were seized in France.
Khat -- the leaves and shoots of the shrub Catha edulis which are chewed to obtain a mild stimulant effect -- is classed as an illegal drug in France, Britain, the Netherlands and many European countries.
