PEARL — Police seized more than 1,000 pounds of illegal THC and kratom products Monday after raids at 14 locations across the Jackson metro area, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said.
Agents and officers served the search warrants in Madison, Rankin and Hinds counties. The raids were part of Operation Preferred Purp, a six-month investigation that included undercover buys.
Agents seized more than 800 pounds of THC products that were packaged and sold as legal goods in stores across Mississippi. Investigators said some of the products were headed to other states to be resold.
They also seized more than 200 pounds of products labeled as kratom. Officials believe those products contain drugs banned under federal law, including MGM-15, MGM-16 or mitragynine pseudoindoxyl.
The products will be turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
Officials did not say how many people have been arrested so far. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said he is worried about dangerous products being sold to teens and young adults.
“Our young people’s safety must come before anyone’s profits,” Bailey said.
Public Safety Commissioner Bo Luckey said the operation showed what agencies can do when they work together.
“Collaboration is key to law enforcement success,” Luckey said.
Madison Police Chief M.E. Waldrop said all the agencies involved handled the operation “with total professionalism.”
Other agencies that took part were the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Madison and Ridgeland police, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division, the Mississippi Bureau of Homeland Security, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations and the DEA.
