POLICE raided a shop in Bolton and arrested two men on suspicion of importing the drug khat from Kenya.

Officers say they found 20kg of the drug in PAK Foods in Mayor Street, near Queens Park, and two other houses during raids on Tuesday.

The case is one of the first of its kind in the North West since khat was made illegal last year.

A third man, aged 35, was arrested at a property in Hebden Court, Bolton, in a separate raid.

Nicknamed 'Tea of the Arabs' khat is a stimulant which can make people happy and talk quickly, but can also provoke feelings of anger and aggression.

Police arrested an 18-year-old man who was behind the counter in PAK Foods. A 39-year-old man was then arrested at his home in Mayor Street.

A third raid at Shackleton Grove resulted in no arrests.

The drug is consumed in parts of Africa with the regularity that Britons drink alcohol, and Bolton's police and crime commissioner slammed the authorities last year for criminalising khat without a comprehensive campaign to educate users.

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "The drug has been made illegal last year and, because of its addictive nature, it could do real harm to communities.

"Importing controlled drugs into the UK is a very serious offence and these warrants show we are constantly working to stop that supply and bring culprits to book.

"Anyone who thinks they know something about the importation of khat, or where some might be available, should get in touch with police."

Police said the three warrants were not linked.

The bags containing the suspected drugs were labelled as henna.

Valuations for khat vary, but police believe it carries a street value of between £15 and £20 per kg.

Khat is native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

It is mostly grown in East Africa, in particular Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

The drug was made illegal in the UK in last year. It was reported that up to 20 tonnes of khat was arriving into the UK every day before it was banned.

Khat is likened to a less powerful amphetamine, and can cause insomnia and confusion.

It can also worsen pre-existing mental health problems, inflame the mouth and damage teeth, while there are concerns about the long-term risk of mouth cancer.

The drug is chewed for a few hours and leaves users with a feeling of calm.