A total of 705 kg of Khat have recently been seized by Chinese customs. [Photo: weibo]

Chinese customs agents have seized 705 kg of khat, a banned plant that can be used as a stimulant, from international parcels.

They first found 14 kg of the leafy shrub, typically grown in the Arabian Peninsula, in a parcel from Ethiopia on Dec. 26 in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

They have since found more khat parcels in Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.

Three people were arrested for receiving the parcels from Ethiopia and sending them to other countries for profit, according to Shenyang customs.

Khat, which can be brewed as tea, smoked or chewed, was banned in China in 2014, making it a criminal offense to plant, hold, traffic or eat it.