The Washington Examiner reports that the DC police has found 300 lbs of khat after arresting an Ethiopian cafe owner. Khat is an illegal drug in the U.S., but it is widely consumed by members of the ruling party in Ethiopia, including the head of Woyanne junta Meles Zenawi. Read the report below by Scott McCabe:
Ethopian cafe owner arrested in major khat bust
WASHINGTON DC — District police charged the owner of an Ethiopian cafe with the illegal narcotic {www:khat} after investigators intercepted hundreds pounds of the leafy substance, which is used as a common stimulant in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Police recovered more than 300 pounds of khat that had a street value of more than $95,000, said Lt. John Haines of the 4th Police District.
The bust “removes a major drug traffic dealer” from the neighborhood north of Sherman Circle, Haines said in a statement.
Etana Shuremu, owner of the Dira Dawa Deli & Cafe, 5333 Georgia Ave. NW, has been charged with unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. No one answered the phone at the business Tuesday, and Shuremu’s attorney, Sara Kopecki, said she could not comment.
According to court documents, the investigation began in February when a D.C. police officer got a tip from a confidential informant that boxes of khat were being shipped from overseas to the Ethiopian cafe. Khat is a plant cultivated in Kenya and Ethiopia that is typically chewed like tobacco, though it can be smoked and sprinkled on food. In its fresh state, it’s classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under United States law, along with drugs like LSD, PCP and Ecstasy. The khat leaves typically start to break down within 48 hours and become a much lesser stimulant considered a Schedule IV drug.
The leafy substance was shipped in boxes labeled “green tea” from the United Kingdom, police said. The source told police that 15 to 20 boxes were delivered three or four times a week. The informant provided cardboard packaging that contained the “green tea” label with a clear plastic bag containing khat residue that had been found in the trash, documents said.
The officers learned that the business was about to receive a shipment of khat from two overseas locations in March. Investigators obtained a warrant to open five packages addressed to Shuremu at a U.S. postal facility before the boxes were delivered to the Diradawa cafe.
A Drug Enforcement Administration lab confirmed that the packages contained 230 pounds of khat, and that the dealers had devised a method to keep the khat fresh, documents said. Police executed another warrant at the store and recovered an additional 80 pounds.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime-punishment/2011/05/ethopian-cafe-owner-arrested-major-khat-bust#ixzz1LSdFteQU
17 thoughts on “DC police intercept 300 pounds of khat”
Khat is widely disseminated in Ethiopia and is made legal in all regions
EXCEPT
in Tigray.
Elias, you said,
“but it is widely consumed by members of the ruling party in Ethiopia, including the head of Woyanne junta Meles Zenawi”
You see how cheap and low creature you are? It is not, in the first place fair to decry those who say you are a ‘total mixed up lunatic…..’
Aim at the great fish “woizero ZERFESHIWAL” looter AZEB and her husband Meles the “friendly tyrant” and “aid darling” who is monopolising every trade in ETHIOPIA
It is a good news. Now they have to start closing all shesha bar because they don’t sell shesha they sell khat and drug.
May be he is setup by Woyanes, if not, I hope he gets punished severely. People like him drags Ethiopians name in the mud. They should make him smoke every leaf of that bundle of Khat in a few hours and let him knock himself out for ever. What a moron!
I hope this will send this thug to jail for a long time.
In the meantime, I would like to remind my countrymen here in the USA and other places overseas about the recent natural disaster in the southern part of the USA. We all have seen the devastation on the TV news where ten of thousands have lost homes and hundreds perished. States from Texas all the way through Virginia have been affected by the tornadoes. We should take a moment to have these victims in our thoughts and try to help as much as we can. We Ethiopian know very well what calamities mean and what they do to people. And when we went through those well publicized famines in the 70,s, 80’s, 90’s and recent years, people of the Good Ole USA had chipped in to help. Grains harvested in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, The Carolinas and Virginia were part of the relief effort which saved millions of lives back home and they still do. We should all stand in unison expressing our unwavering support to the people of these states who lost everything they own and in many cases their loved ones. I know our son Mr. Elias in man of a big heart for victims of any cause and I call upon him to issue a statement of condolences and support to the people of these states. These people are hardworking and straight-up honest people who never had a 2nd thought to help us in our time of desperate needs. I wish them a speedy recovery. Insha’Allah!!!!
I have no sympathy for these guys who put their life in this position. This is the low of the land no Chat period… why don’t these guys stop chewing chat. If they want to do it go home and do it 24/7. I came from the family that loves/enjoy chewing chat and I did it while I was Ethiopia, but now even if it is legal I hate to chew it (it is just me)… First I don’t have time to sit all day and chew it, second it is not good for my health, third I hate to dream false dream….
Fanaye, take it easy girl/boy… it is well known fact that Melese is doing chat, nothing wrong as far as I am concern big part of Ethiopian society does it every day. My problem with him is whatever decision he does after chat hurt my people. Are you offended that Elias insults your bloodsucker boss?
I don’t think this is a big deal if any grown man or women wants to use Khat among other things that would be His/Her choice. I don’t know why most of you are happy about I am sure who ever gave tip to a police must be Ethiopian that what we are good for {MEKEGENET} the Cafe owner did a mistake but did not hurt any one i don’t why we should be happy .
ሎሬንዞ ከሎስ አንጀለስ !,
The law is the law and we have to abide by the rule. If this fool Knowingly broke the law then he must pay for what he did. Millions of Ethiopians would love traded places with him to come to US and make something wonderful with their lives than smuggling illegal drags. It is a great shame to come to the land of opportunity and sell drags. What an embarrassment to himself, his family and to the Ethiopian community.
I come to this site to read news and all I get is hate and twisted rumor. Now, nobody in their right mind would relate this news with Woyanne — totally irrelevant
Been to Somalia and had walked in the streets of Moqadishu;chewed khat and sipped tea from tiny tumbler that passed around members who sat in a circle and had chatted the distruction of Ethiopia;the robber,Meles Zinawi.
This robber from the day that he was born to the day he set in his feet in Ethiopia had remained the most wanted criminal in Ethiopia.Today,this fugitive is rich and wealthy in billions of dollar and had drenched in the blood of Ethiopians.
This robber,Meles Zinawi is highly addicted to khat,assortments of medication,and murder.Thankfully,this sick robber can’t function normal because he has to throw in varieties of prescribed tablets on a daily basis to ease his pain and keep him going,but without taking what prescribed to him,he would not stay alive.
Ethiopians,what else could you be asking your dear lord,God other than taking this devil to hell?
# 8 shut up, there isn’t MEKEGNET it’s wroung he have to pay the price for the LAW that he breaks it. That is why people back home don’t say anything when they see bad things going on, because you and your kind of people say MEKEGNOCH. That’s why most Ethiopians afraid to tell the TRUTH. So SHUT your big MOUTH. Come up with a good one.
Dear Eliyas,
Please be critical when you post article.Otherwise readeablity and trustworthyness of ur article will reduce. I said so becuase Khat is used by most Ethiopians including the ruling class.
Comment #2 (Fanaye), you are so mad because the murderer Meles Zenawi is exposed as a Kahat addict. Every
Ethiopian knows that the tyrant Meles Zenawi promotes the growth of Khat in Ethiopia, except Tigray. Down with TPLF.
I wish DC police will catch Meles Zenawi and Girma Birru chewing fresh khat in DC embassy, No diplomatic immunity for those who transgress one’s country law especially when it comes to controlled substance I.
I know people who does samething. selling chat..
It’s really sad when people take risk by selling illigal thing.
Chat is a killer, chat is a poison..Just stop it.
I was in Tigray before & khat is eaten like food by everybody like crazy, So mr tigray region speak the truth that most tigress are addicted to drug & alcohol.