Customs officials have seized 392 kilograms of banned drug khat, the second largest bust ever in Norway. Officers stopped and searched a Swedish rental van in Nes on Tuesday night, and discovered 64 banana boxes packed with the plant.
The driver, a 43-year-old Portugese man who lives in the United Kingdom was arrested, reported Norwegian news bureau NTB. Earlier this week it was revealed crates of bananas had also been used to smuggle 145 kilograms of cocaine into Norway.
Khat is a chewing plant containing an amphetamine-like stimulant, and can trigger hallucinations. Tuesday’s seizure was second only to a bust shortly after Christmas, where customs officers at Svinesund seized 520 kilograms of khat, also in a Swedish registered van.
Last year customs intercepted 12 tons of khat, a four ton increase on 2012.
newsinenglish.no staff
