Image Credit: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook & Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
Authorities seized a huge amount of illegal, synthetic kratom last week in a Memphis raid according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, requiring an 18-wheeler to transport the items away.
In all, almost 30,000 packages were confiscated from Novelty King, located at 3090 Broad Street in Binghampton in an effort to prevent the illegal substance from reaching consumers.
The business has allegedly been a major supplier of the products – sold under the names Botanical Extract, Cat’s Claw, and KLAZ – having distributed them throughout West Tennessee to convenience stores, gas stations, and other retailers such as vape shops.
No arrest was made last Thursday when more than a dozen members of law enforcement conducted the operation, but someone present on the property was detained.
According to the D.A.’s office, a simultaneous undercover operation targeted a Novelty King location in Collierville yielding around 30 cases of suspected synthetic kratom pills.
Other retail raids have also been recently conducted with authorities investigating AB’s Vape and Smoke Shop in Dyersburg, and Gilt Edge Express searched by Tipton County deputies.
Related to over 500 fatalities in Tennessee over the last decade, kratom can be consumed in various forms including gummies, pills, powders, and liquid shots, and is often packaged attractively in bright colors which appeals to young people.
The synthetic substance was outlawed by the state on July 1st, 2026, and possession of Kratom is now a Class A misdemeanor with a penalty of up to one year in prison. The distribution of synthetic products is a Class C felony with a penalty of up to six years.
Both the Shelby County D.A. Steve Mulroy, and director of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force Johnie Carter say the target of state law is chemically manipulated kratom, not the traditional leaf.
According to Carter, the synthetic kratom is accompanied by fake lab tests, and is deadly. Shops selling the products in the past have been warned to destroy them.
Multiple agencies assisted with the operation in collaboration with the 26th District Attorney General’s office including the 25th and 26th Judicial Drug Task Forces, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Tennessee Counterdrug Task Force, the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force, and the DEA’s Memphis bureau.
Far more powerful than morphine, synthetic kratom began to be popular among consumers in 2024, according to the DEA.
The agency issued an emergency scheduling order in August which placed several key synthetic derivatives of kratom into Schedule I – alongside heroin – prohibiting them at the national level.
Sources:
WREG.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
