Arkansas Man’s Visa Ordeal: Perfume Mistaken for Opium

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An Arkansas man, Kapil Raghu, is fervently working to reinstate his visa status following a month-long detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His ordeal began when authorities erroneously identified his bottle of “Opium” brand perfume as an illicit narcotic, leading to his arrest and subsequent immigration custody, even after all criminal charges were dismissed.

Raghu, an Indian national married to an American citizen and actively pursuing American citizenship, was initially stopped on May 3 in Benton, a Little Rock suburb. According to his attorney, Mike Laux, the traffic stop was for a minor non-moving violation. During the interaction, police officers discovered a small perfume bottle in Raghu’s vehicle, prominently labeled “Opium.” Despite Raghu’s immediate explanation that it was perfume and the name referred to its scent, he was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics.

Perfume Mix-Up Triggers Arrest

The confusion escalated rapidly. Bodycam footage, obtained by local affiliate THV11, captures officers confronting Raghu about the substance. “You got a vial of opium that was in your center console,” an officer is heard saying before instructing Raghu, “Go and take a seat.” Raghu, who was making a food delivery at the time, recounted to the Saline Courier, “I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations.” His wife, Ashley Mays, arrived at the scene, expressing her bewilderment: “I’m confused on why he’s going to jail.”

The Arkansas State Crime Lab later confirmed that the bottle contained perfume, not opium. However, the scientific verification came too late to prevent Raghu’s initial incarceration. He spent three days in the Saline County jail, a period during which authorities uncovered what his attorney described as an “administrative/legal error” indicating his visa status had lapsed.

Immigration Detention and Family Trauma

Following his release from county jail, ICE officers immediately took Raghu into custody. He was then transferred to a federal immigration facility in Louisiana, where he remained detained for 30 days. The prolonged separation took a severe emotional toll on his family.

Speaking next to his wife in an interview with THV11, Raghu shared the profound distress experienced by his loved ones. “She used to call me every night,” he recalled, referring to his wife, “Crying, and my stepdaughter putting a Bible on her chest, crying. My stepdaughter was crying a lot.” He added, illustrating the family’s desperation, that Mays “was planning to sell her cars and move to some other country where we can live happily.”

Although the charges against Raghu were officially dropped, the legal and emotional fallout continues. His efforts now focus on rectifying his visa status, a crucial step toward rebuilding his life and securing his future in the United States with his family.

Source: The Guardian