A traffic stop in Benton, Arkansas took a shocking turn when police arrested a man after mistaking his YSL ‘Opium’ cologne for actual narcotics.
It happened on May 3, 2025, when officers with the Benton Police Department pulled over Kapil Raghu for having a reflective license plate cover. What started as a minor traffic issue escalated quickly after officers searched his car and found a small glass vial labeled “Opium (W)” filled with a dark liquid.
Believing the liquid could be a controlled substance based solely on the label and appearance, officers arrested Raghu on the spot for possession of a Schedule II drug. He was taken to the Saline County Detention Facility while the substance was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab.
But here’s where things get wild: the “suspicious” substance turned out to be nothing more than YSL’s popular women’s fragrance, ‘Opium.’ A luxury scent sold at department stores across the globe, not an illegal narcotic.
Even after this mix-up, Raghu didn’t walk free. ICE placed a detainer on him for unrelated immigration issues, and he was transferred into their custody despite the drug charge being dropped.
Police Chief Scott Hodges later confirmed that once the lab rushed results and determined it was cologne, the case was closed on the narcotics side. Still, the situation raised serious concerns about how quickly officers jumped to conclusions based on packaging alone.
A viral video of the incident shows officers opening Raghu’s mail and inspecting the bottle before making the arrest. It’s now fueling online debate over racial profiling, immigration enforcement, and how something as common as a fragrance can spiral into legal trouble.
Video
YSL’s ‘Opium’ is far from a street drug. For Kapil Raghu, however, wearing the wrong scent at the wrong time cost him his freedom.
Source: my saline.com
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