Australia - Australian police seize kava

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About 60 kilograms of kava, an intoxicating drink from the Pacific Islands, has been seized by police on a flight to a remote Arnhem Land community.
The flight was intercepted at Millingimbi, east of Darwin.



Inside the plane, police allegedly discovering about 60 kilograms of Kava - worth about $50,000 - hidden in a number of small suitcases.

They arrested a 36-year-old man and charged him with possessing a commercial quantity of kava. He was bailed to appear in the Darwin Magistrates Court on March 4.

Kava was introduced into Arnhem Land in the 1980s as an alternative to alcohol, but it has been officially banned from Aboriginal communities as part of the government's intervention to combat child sexual abuse.

Made from the crushed root of a pepper plant mixed with water, kava can cause weight loss, malnutrition, liver damage, hypertension and skin disorders when consumed in large quantities.

9:09PM Thursday February 05, 2009--Source: AAP

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/austral...e-kava-2464796