3 Arrested Following Central Minnesota Khat Bust

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities in central Minnesota say three people were arrested Wednesday after search warrants turned up 10 pounds of khat and thousands of dollars in cash.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department says the warrants were executed at two houses in Willmar. The names of those arrested have not been released.

Khat is a flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It's effects, when chewed, are similar to stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, the Drug Enforcement Administration says.

Khat is a controlled substance in the U.S.