MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 38-year-old Apple Valley man was arrested Tuesday in Iowa for being in possession of an amphetamine known as khat, according to police.
Members of a drug task force near Mason City, Iowa, arrested Dayax Abdi Ahmed after he was found to be in possession of several pounds of khat. Ahmed was charged with possession with the intent to distribute and failure to affix a drug tax stamp, both felonies. He’s being held in the Worth County Jail.
Khat, a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa, is a schedule I controlled substance that is an amphetamine-like substance. Authorities said it’s known to create a sense of euphoria and manic behaviors, and it’s in the form of a plant that’s chewed.
Police said the khat seized had a street value of about $8,000.
