FAYETTEVILLE -- Two men pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court on Wednesday to possession of a controlled substance.
Mufeed Hafeed, 38, of Barling and Rammah Zindanti, 20, of Durham, N.C., were arrested in September by an Arkansas State trooper after he found 90 grams of khat in their car after a traffic stop on Interstate 49 in south Washington County.
Khat is a shrub cultivated in the Middle East and Africa. Its leaves and buds are stimulants when chewed or used as tea.
Both men were sentenced to 48 months' probation and fined $1,000.
The trooper stopped Hafeed and Zindanti because of a license plate violation, according to a police report. The men gave conflicting stories and appeared nervous, according to the report. They consented to a search of the vehicle.
The trooper found khat, about $11,900 in cash and $10,425 in money orders, according to the report.
NW News on 04/28/2016