Court records have revealed the identity of a third man accused of bringing more than 400 pounds of the illegal stimulant khat into the United States on a flight from Africa to O’Hare International Airport last month.
Ebou Sanyang, 43, of New York City, was arrested August 20 after traveling from Africa through Spain to Chicago, according to a federal detention filing. Customs agents allegedly recovered 417 pounds of khat from his luggage when he arrived at O’Hare. Unlike two men arrested the previous day in a separate but apparently related case involving more than 750 pounds of khat, Sanyang was ordered detained pending trial.
Prosecutors described khat as a controlled substance containing cathinone, a stimulant that has “no acceptable medical use” and presents “a high degree of addiction.”
According to the filing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were monitoring Sanyang as he traveled from Africa to Spain and then to Chicago. When he arrived at O’Hare on August 20, officers intercepted him and found the suspected khat in his luggage, prosecutors alleged.
Sanyang is charged with manufacture-delivery of a controlled substance and controlled substance trafficking. Judge Luciano Panici Jr. granted prosecutors’ request to detain Sanyang, citing concerns about his “extensive travel” and “easy access to controlled substances,” according to the detention hearing record.
Sanyang’s arrest came one day after CBP agents arrested Mustapha Fisuru, 24, and Tiekoro Diawara, 25, who had arrived at O’Hare on a flight from Senegal. The two men each had six large suitcases and a backpack, and agents conducting surveillance at Terminal 5 baggage claim noticed they appeared to separate as they collected their luggage, prosecutors said.
A search allegedly found 379.51 pounds of suspected khat in Fisuru’s luggage and 374.83 pounds in Diawara’s luggage.
Prosecutors charged both men with manufacture-delivery of a controlled substance and controlled substance trafficking. Judge James Costello declined to detain them, allowing them to remain free while their cases proceed.
According to prosecutors, Diawara told investigators that Fisuru recruited him for an all-expenses-paid trip to Africa to retrieve suitcases containing what he was told was “Miranga” tea. He allegedly said he was promised $1,000 after returning to the United States. Fisuru allegedly told investigators that his brother recruited him to retrieve suitcases containing “Raspberry Tea” and that he brought Diawara along.
Prosecutors said investigators also recovered messages involving the pickup and delivery of suitcases at airports in the northeastern United States.
CBP announced the arrests last week but did not identify any of the men by name.
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