Last week the federal Drug Enforcement Agency busted six people in Columbus as part of Operation Somalia Express (don't you love the way they give their projects sexy names?). S.E. was the largest sting to date in their nationwide investigation of trade in the plant/drug khat. Chewing of khat leaves is a popular and accepted pastime in the west-African country of Somalia, and Columbus has one of the largest communities of Somali in the United States.

Overall, agents seized 5 tons of the plants from 31 mid-level dealers with an estimated street value of $2 million dollars. For you keeping track, that would come out to about $12 per ounce. Among the suspects arrested was a U.N. employee suspected of smuggling the drug in his diplomatic pouch. One wonders how many tons he could have carried this way. Much of the rest of the drugs were sent via delivery services. Sounds like Brown worked for them!

Khat grows on the horn of Africa as six to twelve-foot bushes. The harvested khat, which is best consumed fresh, is wrapped in banana leaves for shipment. Khat also goes by many other names, such as Abyssinian tea and African salad.

Reports of the drug's effects are mixed; some suggest it is addictive and damaging to the user, others compare it to a strong cup of coffee. Are we witnessing the approach of another enemy on the war on drugs, or are the Reefer Madness people preparing another campaign of misinformation? I'm going to get an espresso, a glass of wine, take a dip of Skoal and do some more research.