On June 10, 2024, at 2149 hours, an officer from the Pocono Township Police Department was on patrol in the Tannersville area and observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling on SR0611 without it’s rear lights activated.  The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle in the Turkey Hill parking lot, located at 2837 Route 611, Tannersville.  The officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Bassam M Alanazi, the defendant in this matter, and passenger, Aseel F Obad, the co-defendant in this matter. 

Alanazi and Obad advised that they were traveling from Michigan to New York City, where they spent one day, and were now heading back to Michigan.  The officer observed several criminal indicators of possible drug trafficking by the two.

Their vehicle was impounded and later searched with a search warrant, at which time approximately 2.5 ounces of Khat was located in the vehicle.  The officer also located 2 large sums of US currency, drug packaging material, a ledger with narcotic records and several cell phones, in the vehicle.

Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub that is native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that is abused for it stimulant-like effect.  Khat has two ingredients, Cathine, which is a schedule IV stimulant, and Cathinone, which is a schedule I stimulant under the Controlled Substance Act.  Cathinone has a high potential for abuse and currently has no accepted medical use in the United States. 

Alazani and Obad have both been charged with felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance, and other related offenses.  Felony arrest warrants were issued for both by Magistrate Daniel Kresge.