NRI’s Visa Revoked Over ‘Opium’ Perfume Confusion

A perfume bottle labelled “Opium” landed an Indian-origin man in Arkansas, in an emotional and financial crisis.

Kapil Raghu, who lives in Benton with his American wife, was detained after police allegedly mistook a perfume bottle labelled “Opium” for the banned narcotic.

The misunderstanding spiraled into a legal and immigration crisis, with the authorities now threatening to deport him from the country.

Reportedly, 32-year-old Raghu was pulled over by Benton police on May 3 for what began as a minor traffic violation. Raghu worked as a food delivery driver.

During routine checking, the police found a small bottle marked “opium” in his car’s centre console and assumed it contained drugs. Raghu kept repeating that it was just a perfume but the police arrested him on suspicion of possessing drugs.

When the police took the bottle and tested its contents at the Arkansas State Crime Lab, it was confirmed that the substance was harmless and contained no narcotics. By then, Raghu had already spent three days in the Saline County Jail, where US immigration authorities flagged a paperwork issue in his visa file.

Raghu’s attorney, Mike Laux told The Guardian that the visa issue arose due to an “administrative error” by his client’s former lawyer. After being arrested, Raghu was shifted to a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana and kept in custody for 30 days.

Though the district court dropped the narcotics charge on May 20, Raghu’s visa had already been revoked, leaving him in a deeper trouble, without legal status.

Speaking on the issue, Laux said that Kapil now has a ‘deportation’ status which means even when he is released, he can be immediately deported for any minor offence, even jaywalking. In fact, his legal status bars him from working and supporting his family, which can prove to be devastating for the couple, he added.

Raghu wrote a letter to ICE’s legal office appealing for his visa to be reinstated, stating that the issue stemmed from delayed paperwork. In the letter, he said that the mounting legal fee and his financial condition after losing the job are causing a lot of strain on him. My wife is carrying the entire financial burden, he said.

His wife, Alhley Mays, described the ordeal as emotionally and financially crushing. They got married in April and have since exhausted their savings, with which they planned to buy a new home. “My daughter sees him as a father figure and his present condition is affecting her too,” Mays said.

Meanwhile, Raghu’s lawyer also accused Benton police of violating international law by failing to inform the Indian Consulate of his detention, which is a requirement under the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations. It is a clear case of neglect, Laux said.

Raghu is now waiting for a response to his visa reinstatement request.