Police Identify Methamphetamine Sold as Khat Drops
Israeli investigators confirmed that a substance marketed as a natural plant extract contained the synthetic stimulant methamphetamine, a drug with a high potential for addiction.
By Grace Almasi ·
Israel Police and the Health Ministry's Enforcement and Inspection Division identified an illegal operation in which methamphetamine was sold under the name of khat drops. Police announced the findings on Sunday. Laboratory tests confirmed that the product was not a khat extract but methamphetamine, a stimulant also known as speed.
The discovery reveals a gap in how consumers understand the legal status of the plant. Khat, scientifically known as Catha edulis, is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In Israel, the plant is legal to buy, sell, and consume when it is in its natural leaf form. However, any extract of the plant is strictly prohibited. This means that even if the drops had contained only khat, the sale would have still violated the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.
Khat is used in traditional and social settings across the Middle East for its stimulant effects. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US National Institutes of Health, the plant speeds up messages between the brain and the body. The DEA compares its effects to those of cocaine and amphetamine. Most users chew the buds and leaves, while a smaller group brews dried leaves into a drink or smokes them.
Methamphetamine differs from khat because it is a lab-made stimulant. The NIH describes it as having a high potential for addiction. The police statement noted that the operation involved selling extracts and preparations, including drops, beverages, and capsules, derived from the khat plant. These products are banned by law for consumption, marketing, and production.
Authorities have not released details on how the dealers were first suspected or where the product was sold in Israel. Police did not specify the scale of the operation, confirm if arrests were made, or report any overdoses linked to the mislabeled substance. The Jerusalem Post contacted police for further comment on the investigation.
Police described the practice as a serious issue because it markets a dangerous drug as a natural product. They stated that this exposes the public to health risks without consumers realizing they are ingesting a synthetic drug. The joint effort between the police and the health ministry focused on verifying the chemical composition of the product through laboratory testing.
The investigation highlights the regulatory distinction between the raw plant and its processed forms. While the leaves remain legal, the drops and other preparations fall under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. The police confirmed that the substance found in the drops was methamphetamine, not the natural khat extract that consumers expected.
