FREEDOM, Twp., Ohio (WKBN) – Three people from New York and one person from Louisiana are facing charges after deputies with the Portage County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle on Tuesday on I-80 in Freedom Township.
According to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, its Portage Aggressive Crime Enforcement (P.A.C.E.) Unit found $5,600 in cash as well as a substance believed to be Khat during the traffic stop.
Deputies said that Khat contains an illegal controlled substance, and the amount seized in this traffic stop is three times the bulk amount in the entire state of Ohio. The deputies said that abusers of this substance claim the effects can be similar to that of cocaine or methamphetamine and the potential side effects are extremely dangerous.
The substance will be sent to BCI for further analysis. Charges of trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs and criminal proceeds will be filed following the results, the sheriff’s office said.