Two Utah resident refugees accused of importing more than 400 pounds of an exotic stimulant from Ethiopia made an appearance in federal court Friday.
Patrick Bahati, 23, and Sherif Kadir Sirage, 42, both of Salt Lake City, appeared in federal court after being arrested last Wednesday on charges of importation of a controlled substance.
Federal prosecutors moved to have both men held in federal custody pending trial, arguing that the importation of more than 400 pounds of khat constitutes a danger to the community.
Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The plant is typically chewed like tobacco and creates a feeling of euphoria. The plant is banned in much of Europe, East Africa, Arabian Peninsula and the United States. It is considered a schedule I to a schedule IV controlled substance in the United States, depending on its freshness.
According to charging documents, both men had two large shipments of khat brought in from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, via air shipment. A shipping company worker noticed a strong spice smell coming from the packages and noted that their contents did not match shipping documents, which listed contents as "false banana flour, basil, pepper, hop, grounded pea, lipia and thyme."
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