Spanish authorities have announced a seizure in the port of Barcelona of more than 3.2 tons of synthetic cathinones (the active ingredient in the khat plant), confirming that this is the largest seizure of the drug in Europe.

Authorities added in a statement: “The Civil Guard has confiscated the largest number of synthetic cathinones found in Europe so far,” a total of 3.2 tons, “with a market value of 61 million euros.”

Cathinone is a stimulant found in khat, a shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with a stimulant effect similar to that of amphetamines when its leaves are chewed.

The Civil Guard emphasized that synthetic khat derivatives are “stronger than natural ingredients and much more dangerous.”

Photos released by the Civil Guard show dozens of plastic barrels containing the product in the form of small white stones.

The investigation began earlier this year after authorities in France conducted an investigation into a warehouse in the port of Barcelona in northeast Spain, where the materials were being distributed to the rest of Europe.

The “transnational” criminal organization distributed the material through three companies under false documents. One person was detained, the rest are wanted.