A driver is facing drug dealing charges after he tried to convince police that his drugs were actually “celery.”

Porter County police say they received a tip about a car possibly carrying drugs. An officer later saw that car driving along a local stretch of the Indiana Toll Road last week.

When police pulled the car over, inside was Sadiq Abdulle, 30, of Minnesota. He told police he was returning home to Minnesota after visiting family in Ohio.

Abdulle let police search his car. During this search, police found a small bag of khat, an illegal stimulant plant from the Arabian Peninsula, in the center console. The plant can cause delusions, paranoia, nightmares, hallucinations and hyperactivity, according to the DEA. In addition, four white garbage bags full of it were found in the trunk. In total, Abdulle had nearly 18 pounds of khat.

When discovered, Abdulle claimed the drug was just “celery to rub on your face.”

Abdulle was taken into custody and faces a felony count of dealing in a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.