After stopping car for littering, THP arrests 2 men on 'bath salts' drug charges

Tennessee state troopers found that the boxes were packed with "khat"  a plant-based drug containing hallucinogenic compounds - during a routine traffic stop. Driver Osman Mohamed, 40, of Kansas City, Kan., and passenger Sheikh Abdulqadir, 57, of Kansas City, Mo., were arrested and charged with possession of schedule IV drugs with intent to resale. They were transported to the Coffee County jail.
Tennessee state troopers found that the boxes were packed with "khat" a plant-based drug containing hallucinogenic compounds - during a routine traffic stop. Driver Osman Mohamed, 40, of Kansas City, Kan., and passenger Sheikh Abdulqadir, 57, of Kansas City, Mo., were arrested and charged with possession of schedule IV drugs with intent to resale. They were transported to the Coffee County jail.

Two men were arrested on Friday in Coffee County for driving with approximately 11 pounds of the illegal drug khat in the trunk of their car.

Trooper Brent McCawley originally stopped the Toyota Corolla for littering near the 109 mile marker on the westbound side of Interstate 24. Once he pulled over the car, McCawley said the occupants were acting nervous, according to a written statement from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

McCawley received permission to search the car, and found five large boxes in the trunk of the vehicle containing what the driver described as teas leaves. After investigation, McCawley found that the boxes were packed with the drugs.

Osman Mohamed, 40, and Sheikh Abdulqadir, 57, both from Kansas City, were arrested and charged with possession of schedule IV drugs with intent to resell.

Khat is a plant-based drug containing hallucinogenic compounds, and is commonly referred to as bath salts, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Not to be confused with bath and body products, these bath salts are part of an emerging family of drugs containing one or more synthetic chemicals related to cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant that is naturally found in khat.

Khat can be ingested in a variety of forms, and is commonly a white or brown crystalline powder. Those who ingest khat reportedly experience severe intoxication, as the bath salts can produce euphoria and increased sociability and sex drive. Some users experience paranoia, agitation and hallucinatory delirium, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

In July 2012, President Obama signed a federal law banning the sale of synthetic bath salts.

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