Police, Health Ministry uncover operation selling methamphetamine labeled as 'khat drops'

Israeli authorities, in collaboration with the Health Ministry's Enforcement and Inspection Division, recently dismantled a pernicious illicit scheme wherein methamphetamine was being sold under the guise of khat drops, a statement released by police on Sunday revealed.Laboratory tests confirmed that the substance promoted as khat was indeed methamphetamine, commonly known as meth or speed, according to police.

The authorities did not disclose how they suspected the dealers, nor did they specify where in Israel the product was sold, the scale of the operation, or if any arrests were made or overdoses resulted from the mislabeled product.The Jerusalem Post has contacted Israel Police for additional information. Khat, a plant legal for consumption in its natural leaf form in Israel, is distinct from methamphetamine.

The plant is a flowering evergreen shrub traditionally used for its stimulant-like effects across the Middle East.Methamphetamine, the drug found being sold as khat drops, is a lab-created stimulant with a high potential for addiction, according to the National Institutes of Health. Selling dangerous drugs under the false pretense of a natural product is a grave issue, police emphasized, exposing the public to significant health risks without consumers' knowledge.

Marketing, production, and consumption of extracts and preparations derived from khat, including drops, beverages, and capsules, are prohibited under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.