Ten young Israelis, including three minors, were arrested in Vienna, Copenhagen and London over the past week for attempting to smuggle dozens of kilograms of Khat in their suitcases.
The Israelis are expected to be held in detention centers for about two weeks until their trials and may be imprisoned for several months.
Some young Israelis traveling on their first trip abroad give in to the temptation of the easy money promised to them by Israeli operators for smuggling Khat, which is considered an illegal drug in European countries, the US and Canada.
The Foreign Ministry has information about over 90 Israelis arrested under similar circumstances since November 2018, some of whom are still in prison (including a young man sentenced to ten years in prison in Turkey).
The Foreign Ministry and the Department for Israelis Abroad in the Consular Division have repeatedly warned about this alarming phenomenon which can result in long prison stays in foreign countries, steep legal expenses and emotional suffering.