Butler police chief busts business for selling synthetic marijuana

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - An investigation is underway after Butler Police Chief James Nichols busted a business for selling and manufacturing synthetic marijuana.

Urban Kaos was busted last Friday by Butler police after the community came forward about the unusual amount of traffic going to the business.

Chief Nichols said it took several months before he could get a warrant and make the bust. Officers seized nearly 300 pounds of synthetic marijuana.  He said it’s his personal mission to get these drugs off the streets.

“I've seen first-hand the damage it can do to people and the families that have been destroyed, the children that have been taken out of their houses,” he said.

The Indiana General Assembly passed a law that bans the compounds that are used to make synthetic marijuana. The selling, distribution and/or manufacturing of it are also illegal. Under that new law, businesses caught selling, distributing or manufacturing it could lose their business license for a year.

Chief Nichols said he relies on the community to help capture anyone who’s breaking the law.

“The public has been really responsive to getting that information out to us concerning the synthetic cannabinoid, the Spice and K2,” he said. “I think it's been crucial for us and the successes that we've had.”

This bust has been the talk of the town. Community members are glad the police department is making the effort to keep the dangerous drugs out of their town.

“I have children and I have a whole bunch of family that has children and we don't need this around our kids,” said Jessica Baird.

The investigation is ongoing. Officials are waiting for test results to see if the synthetic drugs confiscated from Urban Kaos contain illegal chemicals. Chief Nichols said if that turns out to be the case, he’ll work to get prosecutors to file charges against the owners and to try to take their business license away.