Businesses across South Alabama were temporarily closed following reports of the sale of controlled substances. According to the City of Andalusia, three businesses in Andalusia temporarily closed Tuesday after law enforcement found the sale of a highly-addictive ingredient known as “kratom,” often called “convenience store heroin.”

Prior to the raid, hand-delivered letters from the district attorney were written to business owners, letting them know that the substances they sold were illegal and asking them to willingly dispose of the substances. About a month later, an undercover officer was able to still purchase the substances at certain locations. The products they purchased were sent to the lab for testing and tested positive for controlled substances.

Investigation Ongoing

Andalusia Police Chief Paul Hudson says, “This is very much an ongoing investigation,” Hudson said. “We did not make any arrests today (Tuesday), but that doesn’t mean we won’t.” Law enforcement also entered several Greenville businesses Wednesday morning in search of specific items sold at those convenience stores.

According to Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn, several items have been seized and removed from four stores in Greenville, including kratom and smokable hemp products. Substances from each store have been sent for laboratory analysis to confirm their chemical composition. Chief Lovvorn says the investigation remains ongoing, and criminal charges are pending on the completion of the lab report.

The Opp Police Department also had officers deliver letters to businesses there. Businesses who do not abide by the law could be criminally charged and could potentially lose their business licenses.

Original reporting: Alabama News Network — read the source article.