18 Arrested in Khat Trafficking Investigation

[Somalina]

Updated: Thursday, 19 May 2011, 1:14 PM EDT

Published : Thursday, 19 May 2011, 11:58 AM EDT

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - FROM UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA

 

Authorities have arrested 18 people in four states, including 10 from northern Virginia, for what they allege was an international trafficking ring that distributed nearly 10,000 pounds of the illegal African drug known as khat.

 

Federal prosecutors in Alexandria charged Yonis M. Ishak of Arlington as the conspiracy's ringleader. He allegedly paid a network of couriers $1,000 each for trips to London to fetch fresh batches of khat, a leaf that gives users a high when chewed.

 

The drug is popular in East Africa. Of the 18 arrested, all were natives of either Somalia or Yemen.

 

John Torres, a special agent in charge with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, estimated the drug's street value at $5 million.

 

Arrests were also made in Maryland, New York and Ohio.

 

Others charged as part of the alleged conspiracy include the following:

 

· Abdulkadir Isse, a/k/a “Abdul” and “Burane,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Springfield, Va., is accused of being Ishak’s partner in the khat trafficking organization.

 

· Suado Mohammed Ali, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Burke, Va., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat.

 

· Hassan Hassan, a/k/a “Elay,” a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Alexandria, Va., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Ahmed Hassan, a/k/a “Dirir,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Alexandria, Va., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Yonas Beyene, a/k/a “Yonka,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Alexandria, Va., is accused of using his position at a vehicle rental agent to assist Ishak in renting vehicles used to transport and distribute khat.

 

· Ismail Abdi, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Alexandria, Va., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as storing khat at his residence.

 

· Hibo Samantar, a/k/a “Fadumo,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Annandale, Va., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Osman Yusuf, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Clifton, Va., is accused of using his position as a branch manager for a money service business to remit proceeds from khat sales to individuals located overseas.

 

· Abdirahman Jibril, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Fairfax, Va., is accused of using his position as an employee at a money service business to remit proceeds from khat sales to individuals located overseas.

 

· Adbi Muhumed, a/k/a “Juba,” a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Parkville, Md., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Maryland, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Harun Salhan, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Wheaton, Md., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Maryland, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Lutf Mohamed Albukhaiti, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in New York, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Nagi Alashmali, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in New York, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Moheeb Nasser, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in New York, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Khaled Ahmed Isa, a/k/a “Adnan,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Yemen residing in Queens Village, N.Y., is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in New York, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.

 

· Abdi Omar Abdi, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Columbus, Ohio, is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Ohio, as well as transporting khat from New York to Ohio.

 

· Abokor Gurreh, a/k/a “Mubarak,” Mohamed Farhan,” and “Farhan M. Mohamed,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Columbus, Ohio, is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Ohio, as well as transporting khat from New York to Ohio.

 

The ongoing investigation was conducted by ICE HSI with support from FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service as well as local law enforcement in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and New York including Arlington County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority and local law enforcement in Ohio including Columbus Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and Gahanna Police Department, Baltimore County Police, Montgomery County Police and New York City Police Department.

 

Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Frank and Assistant United States Attorney Mary Daly are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

 

Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

[Somalina]

Eighteen people across four states, including 12 taken into custody in Northern Virginia and Maryland, were arrested Wednesday in connection with an interstate drug trafficking ring whose ringleader lived in Arlington.

 

Documents say that the group was involved in transporting and distributing 4.4 million grams of khat, a drug with effects similar to but less intense than that of methamphetamine or cocaine.

 

Prosecutors allege that Yonis Muhundin Ishak, a naturalized U.S. Citizen from Somalia who now lives in Arlington, used human couriers to transport the drugs from England, Canada and Holland to at least 15 states, including Washington, D.C.

 

Ishak would allegedly pay couriers about $1,000 per trip.

 

He and the 17 others have all been charged with conspiring to distribute cathinone. The penalty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

 

Several of the other locals arrested live in Springfield, Burke, Alexandria, Annandale, Clifton, Fairfax, Wheaton and Parkville, Md.

[Axmed-InaJaad]

khat is not a drug, its medicine

[Nabad_dadaye]

reer khaat waa in laxirxiraa hadi lagu helo ayagoo shaqada wado ama cadeyn lagu helo ,qaadka waa cudur soomaalida duleeyay ,mashaqeystayaal ka wada dhigay , mas'uuliyad darada u sababay , waa drug qatar ah maadaama dhibkiisa uusan durba usoo bandhigmeynin dadka wexey maleyeen in uu fiican yahay lakin mudo ka dib ayeey arkaan dhabtiisa

bisad baa igashay , burhaanta samada mareyso , gawaarida ayaa ijiidheysa iyo waxyaala aan loo joogin beey daldalaan . with cadeyn xarig bey istaahilaan.

[Nin-Yaaban]

$5 million dollars? I have been in the wrong business. :)

[Som@li]

^I have 5 trees in my garden, It is legal to grow them over here, They are like 1m tall, in two years, the mortgage will paid off!

 

If you are interested, you can get the seeds from here

 

http://www.shamanic-extracts.com/xcart/shamanic-products/Catha-edulis-Khat-seeds.html

 

or

http://www.shamanica.com/Catha%20edulis.asp

 

It takes 7 years for a Catha edulis "Khat" tree to mature. You can also propagate them from cuttings, that is if you find a fresh cut.

[Al-Miskiin]

War dadka u ceeb qariya, magacyadii oo almost sadexan baaba la soo qoray e.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Sawiradoodii Meeye? Somali halkee waayee meeshaas? Inta hadii hal-marduuf lagugu qabto waa 2sano xariga.

[Som@li]

^Ma waxa rabtaa in ay Soomaalidu isoo dhacdo!

 

War iska dhaaf hadii ay illegal tahay. is not worth it.

[Sensei]

I feel bad for these folks, one the men actually works for a gov. agency as I hear it.