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Khat in Kenya
Khat, a drug that is becoming increasingly popular in France. Photograph: Simon Maina/Getty
Khat, a drug that is becoming increasingly popular in France. Photograph: Simon Maina/Getty

France catches up with khat users

This article is more than 11 years old
This traditional east African stimulant is illegal in France, but customs seizures are on a par with cocaine

Chewing the leaves releases a bitter liquid. In Yemen and across the Horn of Africa, khat is an integral part of the local culture. But in France the stimulant is a prohibited drug. According to figures released by the French Customs, seizures of khat leaves are soaring, up from 1.8 tonnes in 2011 to 4.5 tonnes in 2012, putting it on a par with cocaine (4.6 tonnes) but still far behind cannabis (24 tonnes).

This February alone one tonne was seized. But the rising interception rate does not necessarily mean consumption in France is increasing. Half of last month's haul was found in the freight zone of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. "France is a transit country," says Sébastien Tiran, general-secretary at the CDG Customs headquarters. "Last year most of the consignments we seized were on their way to the United States or Canada." The increase in air-freight traffic may explain the higher interception rate.

The recent reorganisation of air-freight services between East Africa and North America may also have played a part. A person sending a parcel to Canada, for instance, has no idea which route it will take. If it stops over in London, where khat is legal, it has a good chance of carrying on to Toronto or Montreal. A change of planes in Paris may lead to interception.

"Consignments are destroyed but we may pass on the details to [the authorities in] the destination country," Tiran adds. "Khat is always sent by express freight, to save time on transport." The leaves, which taste a bit like dandelion greens, lose their effect a few days after being harvested.

So smuggling khat is a race against time. Khat planes leave Africa in the evening, landing in Europe the next morning. Until January consignments of khat could be sent via the Netherlands. Deliveries could be collected by car and then distributed. "We stopped a pair arriving from Amsterdam with 280kg in their boot," says Benoît Pascal, the head of the Customs service in Metz, in eastern France. "They were heading for Switzerland, home to a large Ethiopian community."

But some khat is destined for consumption in France. "You find two types of leaf in France," says one Somali user. "Mirra, which is grown in Kenya, is more powerful but not as nice as hereri, which comes from the Harar region of Ethiopia. Kenyan leaves keep up to five days, compared with only three for the Ethiopian variety. Some say Kenyans farmers use ox-blood as a fertiliser [...] To keep them moist the leaves are transported wrapped in banana skins."

The Netherlands made khat illegal this year. Now the only reliable route is via London. There is a large Somali community in the UK and in 2011 almost 3,000 tonnes of khat landed there. To judge by recent seizures, khat is now crossing the Channel. Last month, officers found 860kg in a truck at Calais, which had just arrived from Dover. Four days later customs officers netted their biggest ever haul (1,017 kg) in a UK-registered van.

The Netherlands ban has driven prices in Paris sharply upwards. A bunch of mirra leaves (about 100g) sold for €10 ($13) at the end of 2012. It is now worth €15, and hereri khat is almost twice the price. "Prices and the risks involved have increased, but there are still two consignments a week arriving in Paris," says our Somali source. "A few phone calls are enough to stay up-to-date. Then we meet at someone's flat and chew happily late into the night. We can talk freely and it reminds us of home."

According to various manuscripts khat has been consumed in the Horn of Africa since the 14th century. Users tend to gather in people's homes in the early afternoon heat. The greener the leaves the juicier they are likely to be. After chewing them for about a quarter of an hour they form a sort of cud. As the juice causes a dry mouth, tea and soft drinks are generally served. Khat relaxes the body while stimulating the brain, inducing excitement and even euphoria.

In Ethiopia khat accounts for 15% of all exports. Intensive farming of the bushes, which has driven out other crops, may have developed because they are relatively drought-resistant, require little attention and secure a steady income.

The molecular structure of khat is similar to that of amphetamine and it can be highly addictive. "Its psychoactive substances include cathinone, found in some designer drugs," says Julie-Emilie Adès, at France's Drugs and Addiction Observatory.

In parts of Africa widespread consumption has a noticeable effect on the economy. "It could take as much as 20 years to rid the Horn of Africa of khat," a European diplomat suggests. "Everyone, from ordinary working people up to the top elite, chews khat. But leaving it freely available is also a way of keeping things peaceful."

This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from Le Monde

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