The young woman accused of trying to sneak a large amount of an East African drug over the Canadian border earlier this week is back in custody after a brief appearance yesterday in Dartmouth provincial court.
Zulaika Antonette Felix, 27, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and importation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Officers with the Canada Border Services Agency arrested the Netherlands native Sunday at Halifax Stanfield International Airport after a search of her two suitcases allegedly turned up 180 bundles of khat, a flowering plant that is illegal in Canada.
Felix was supposed to have her show cause hearing yesterday, but the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service confirmed her election and plea has been adjourned until Sept. 16.
A few CBSA officers waited in the courtroom yesterday for Felix to make her appearance. The agency allegedly found more than 15 kilograms of the drug in her luggage. When the green parts of khat are ingested, the active ingredients can produce a stimulant effect similar to an amphetamine.
Khat is legal in the Netherlands.
– with files from The Canadian Press
