Courts / Dublin / Report

Khat drug like "going for a pint", barrister submits

Date
2018-03-13

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 47‑year‑old Somali‑born woman, Sujuur Abdullahi Mohamed, received an 18‑month suspended sentence for importing the East African drug khat. Mohamed, who lives in London, pleaded guilty to possession and importation after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 30 December 2017. She had been offered €1 000 to bring two suitcases of khat into Ireland. Garda David Jordan explained that only the leaves of the plant are considered drug, and that the 31.6 kg of material she carried had deteriorated before it could be weighed or valued. He estimated a street value of about €500, though the judge noted the value could be as high as €10 000. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Mohamed was uncertain whether khat was illegal in Ireland and, after considering the circumstances, imposed a suspended sentence rather than custodial time. The court also noted that Mohamed had no prior convictions.