17 Indicted in New York International Drug Ring Case

Authorities say 17 members of an international drug ring flooded parts of New York, Massachusetts and Ohio with several tons of a narcotic obtained from Yemen, Kenya and Ethiopia.

They say the substance, known as khat (kaht), was shipped to the United States through the United Kingdom, China, Holland and Belgium.

Authorities say the ring laundered proceeds through operations in Minnesota and wired the money to various locations abroad, including Dubai and England.

The case was announced Friday by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton.

A 215-count indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn's state Supreme Court.

Khat is popular in parts of the Middle East and Africa, but it's classified as a dangerous narcotic in the United States. Users chew the leaf, producing a mild high.