A Jonesboro gas station owner has been charged with felony possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance after state officials say they discovered 62 suspected kratom pills at his business.
According to court records from Craighead County, Mirzali Lakhani is facing one count of possession of a controlled substance, classified as a Class C felony.
Arkansas Regulatory Police conducted an inspection at the Exxon station located at 3109 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on November 5. During the inspection, officers noticed pills on display for sale that they identified as kratom, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The officers then contacted the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force for assistance. Investigators, who identified Lakhani as the station owner and permit holder, reported that he cooperated and consented to additional searches of the business inventory. Agents say they ultimately found a total of 31 packages of pills, with each package containing two pills.
In Arkansas, kratom is considered a controlled substance under state law due to its active compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which are classified as Schedule I substances by the Arkansas Department of Health.
At a hearing on November 9, Judge David Boling set Lakhani’s bond on his own recognizance, and Judge Tommy Fowler left that bond in place during Lakhani’s court appearance on November 10. Records indicate Lakhani is scheduled for a January 25 appearance in Craighead County Circuit Court.
As of now, Lakhani is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.