Hong Kong : Customs agents in China have reportedly seized 705 kilograms of Khat, a banned plant that can be used as a stimulant, from international parcels.
According to a report filed by the Xinhua news agency, the customs officials first discovered 14 kilograms of the leafy shrub, typically grown in the Arabian Peninsula, in a parcel from Ethiopia on December 26, 2015 in the northeastern city of Shenyang, and have since found more Khat parcels in Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.
So far, three persons have been taken into custody for receiving the parcels from Ethiopia and sending them to other countries for profit.
Khat can be brewed as tea, smoked or chewed. It was banned in China in 2014, making it a criminal offense to plant, hold, traffic or eat it. (ANI)