160kg ‘Ethiopian cannabis’ seized

Customs officials seized 160 kilograms of Ethiopian cannabis well known as 'Khat' from the Cargo Unit of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday, reports UNB.

Nine suspected cartons came to the foreign post office of the Caro Unit by a flight of Jet Airways from India on 6 September, Othello Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Customs House (DCH), told UNB.

"Suspiciously, the nine cartons were seized by the customs officials for scrutinising," he said.

Later, officials of the DCH opened the nine cartons in presence of other agencies including National Security Intelligence (NSI) and seized the products look like "green Tea", which is actually a new psychoactive substance (NPS), the customs official said.

The NPS, known as Ethiopian cannabis, is ingested by dissolving it in water, Othello said.

It is usually taken turning liquid through mixing with water resulting in the substance experience a high similar to using yaba, he further said.

Esa Enterprise of Turag imported the contraband item exported by Ziad Mohammad Usuf, Addis Ababa of Ethiopia.

Another 460kg consignment of such type of product was also seized by the customs officials earlier on 31 August.