Charges laid after khat seized

One person faces drug smuggling charges following a bust near the Ottawa Airport involving an east African stimulant called khat.

The Canada Border Services Agency says 170 kilograms of khat were seized on Monday at the Ottawa Air Cargo Centre.

The substance was found frozen, wrapped in banana leaves, in a wooden crate shipped from England.

The khat has a street value of around $85,000.

Khat is a leaf from a plant native to east Africa. Once chewed, if has a stimulating effect similar to amphetamines. It's designated a controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Ottawa Police and RCMP are looking for other people suspected to be involved in the smuggling.

According to the RCMP's 2004 Drug Situation in Canada report, 351 kilograms of khat were seized at the Ottawa airport last year.