Washington, Oct 5 (V7N) – What seemed like an ordinary bottle of perfume turned into a nightmare for an Indian national living in the United States. Kapil Raghu, an Indian citizen residing in Arkansas, was mistakenly arrested and detained for nearly a month after police officers falsely identified his perfume bottle as containing illegal drugs.

According to The Guardian, the incident occurred on May 3 in Benton, Arkansas, when local police stopped Raghu for a minor traffic violation. During the inspection, officers found a small perfume bottle labeled “Opium” and assumed it contained narcotics.

Despite Raghu’s repeated explanations that the bottle held only a branded fragrance, officers arrested him on suspicion of drug possession. He was later transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he remained detained for approximately four weeks.

Raghu’s attorney, Mike Laux, stated that the arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding and that all charges were subsequently dropped. Police body camera footage reportedly shows Raghu trying to clarify that the item was perfume, while officers insisted it contained illegal substances.

A laboratory analysis by the Arkansas State Crime Lab later confirmed that the substance inside the bottle was indeed perfume, not opium. Despite this finding, Raghu spent three days in the Saline County Jail, where officials also discovered a technical issue related to the expiration of his visa.

The ordeal has had serious repercussions for Raghu’s immigration status. He had been in the process of applying for permanent U.S. residency after marrying Ashley Mays, an American citizen. However, his detention by ICE has put that process in jeopardy.

Raghu was transferred to a federal immigration facility in Louisiana, where he remained in custody for 30 days. Although a judge officially dismissed the charges against him on May 20, his immigration case was severely affected.

Raghu’s wife, Ashley Mays, launched an online fundraising campaign to cover legal fees and living expenses, revealing that his work visa had also been revoked following the arrest.

Now released, Raghu is working to restore his visa status and restart the immigration process. However, the incident has left lasting complications for his path toward permanent residency — all triggered by a single bottle of perfume.

END/SMA/AJ/