Suspected K2 seized from G.I. Joe Gun and Pawn

Approximately half of the packages of suspected synthetic cannabinoids seized Thursday from G.I. Joe's Gun and Pawn line a desk in the Fulton Police Department.
Approximately half of the packages of suspected synthetic cannabinoids seized Thursday from G.I. Joe's Gun and Pawn line a desk in the Fulton Police Department.

After serving a search warrant Thursday on G.I. Joe's Gun and Pawn in downtown Fulton, the Fulton Police Department has seized hundreds of packets of suspected synthetic cannabinoids.

A search warrant was served shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday after an undercover narcotics agent with the MUSTANG Drug Task Force purchased a package of the psychoactive drug - known by the popular brand names K2 and Spice - from Timothy Hays, the shop's owner. After tests at the Missouri Highway Patrol Crime Lab revealed the substance was a Schedule I controlled substance, the search warrant was issued.

"We've had a lot of complaints. There were complaints from businesses and from parents as well," said FPD Major Roger Rice. "They said that business is like a beehive. People were in and out of there all day long."

Hays was detained following the operation, while the hundreds of approximately three-gram packets were removed and processed at the police station. Lt. Andre Cook said several brands of suspected cannabinoids were removed from various places in the pawn shop, and one packet of each variety would be sent to the Highway Patrol's lab.

"The substances will be sent to the crime lab for their chemical makeup to be determined whether or not they are illegal, at which point we will seek prosecution," said Cook. "We will send a report for the prosecutor to review. He (Hays) is not currently charged pending lab results and a report."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.