Danny Aweke says he did not know the plant, use of which is legal in Israel, was a forbidden drug abroad

Danny Aweke, under house arrest and banned from leaving, said to be deteriorating mentally, leading to diplomatic intervention on humanitarian grounds, Foreign Ministry says

Four suspected of trying to bring 220 kilograms intro country; stimulant leaves are legal in Israel but not in Europe

20-year-old also fined; since late 2018, over 100 Israelis have been arrested for smuggling narcotic plant, which is legal in Israel but banned in Europe

Young people trafficking in the drug, which is legal in Israel, arrested in Vienna, Copenhagen, London, were likely paid by criminal groups in Israel

Criminals pay travelers to take suitcases full of leaves abroad, but European countries have increasingly been punishing those they catch