Ten Fairfax residents among those arrested for trafficking khat
by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer
Friday, May 20, 2011
According to ICE officials, all 18 were taken into custody Wednesday. Attorney information has not yet been made available.
According to court documents unsealed Thursday from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Yonis Muhudin Ishak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia living in Arlington, is considered the leader of an alleged conspiracy that used human couriers to transport khat into the United States from England, Canada, and Holland.
Court documents claim the alleged conspirators sent packages of khat to the U.S. via the U.S. Postal Service and delivery companies. Documents claim the alleged conspiracy would then distribute the khat, via couriers and the postal system, to at least 15 states, including California, Washington, Tennessee, New York, and the Washington, D.C.-metro area. The conspirators allegedly transmit proceeds from their drug sales to others in England, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.
“ICE is firmly committed to ensuring that our borders are secure, and one way we do that is by working day in and day out to curb the illicit flow of contraband such as drugs across our borders,” said John P. Torres, special agent in charge of the Washington office for, ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
According to ICE, fresh khat leaves contain the drug cathinone, an addictive stimulant with effects similar to methamphetamine or cocaine. Over time, the cathinone in khat leaves degrades, and the court documents allege that
Ishak placed priority on ensuring the khat smuggled into the United States was fresh. Khat is native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
He allegedly used at least 14 couriers, whom he would pay about $1,000 per trip to travel to England and return with khat smuggled in their passenger luggage.
Ishak and other alleged conspirators would use rented vehicles to provide couriers with transportation to and from the airport and designate locations throughout the United States for couriers to retrieve or ship khat to conspirators in other parts of the country, court documents state.
Court documents claim that Ishak is also accused of suggesting that conspirators use their children as couriers to evade detection.
All of those arrested were charged with conspiring to distribute cathinone, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, if convicted.
Those charged as part of the alleged conspiracy include the following from the Washington, D.C.-metro area:
- Abdulkadir Isse, a/k/a “Abdul” and “Burane,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Springfield, who is accused of being Ishak’s partner in the khat trafficking organization.
- Suado Mohammed Ali, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Burk, who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat.
- Hassan Hassan, a/k/a “Elay,” a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Alexandria, who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.
- Ahmed Hassan, a/k/a “Dirir,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Alexandria, who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.
- Yonas Beyene, a/k/a “Yonka,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Alexandria, who is accused of using his position at a vehicle rental agent to assist Ishak in renting vehicles used to transport and distribute khat.
- Ismail Abdi, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Alexandria, who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as storing khat at his residence.
- Hibo Samantar, a/k/a “Fadumo,” a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Annandale, who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.
- Osman Yusuf, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Clifton, who is accused of using his position as a branch manager for a money service business to remit proceeds from khat sales to individuals located overseas.
- Abdirahman Jibril, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Fairfax, who is accused of using his position as an employee at a money service business to remit proceeds from khat sales to individuals located overseas.
- Adbi Muhumed, a/k/a “Juba,” a legal permanent U.S. resident from Somalia residing in Parkville, Md., who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Maryland, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.
- Harun Salhan, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia residing in Wheaton, Md., who is accused of assisting Ishak in smuggling and distributing khat in Maryland, as well as laundering the proceeds of khat sales.
ICE Officials say the investigation is ongoing and was conducted with support from FBI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service as well as local law enforcement in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and New York including Arlington County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority and local law enforcement in Ohio including the Columbus Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and Gahanna Police Department, Baltimore County Police, Montgomery County Police and New York City Police Department.
Source: Fairfax Times