2 days ago
$35K in drugs, Balenciaga sneakers seized in Memphis baggage claim
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A large haul of pills and a pricy pair of sneakers were seized by drug agents in a baggage claim area at a public transit hub in Memphis last week.
The West Tennessee Drug Task Force wouldn't specify which transit hub, but said agents with the 30th District Criminal Interdiction Unit, based in Memphis, were conducting a routine operation when they spotted the unclaimed bag.
'I think the people that saw us got nervous and just wouldn't claim it,' said West TN Task Force Director Johnie Carter.
Carter said the bag contained 453 hydrocodone pills, 986 Xanax pills, 2083 OxyContin pills, and 979 ecstasy pills, along with a $1,100 pair of Balenciaga tennis shoes.
'High fashion footwear or not, drug traffickers have no place in Shelby County, ' said District Attorney Steve Mulroy. 'Thanks to our DTF agents for disrupting trafficking yet again.'
Agents field-tested the drugs and discovered that the ecstasy pills were fake, and were just caffeine. All of the other pills were legitimate and would sell for about $35,000 on the streets.
VIDEO: Suspects smash jewelry cases with hammers in bold heist
Carter said the caffeine pills should serve as a reminder to buyers that you never actually know what you are getting.
'If you're buying it to resell, you don't know what you're getting,' Carter said. 'You don't know what you're putting in your body. We say that over and over again, you have no idea what you're introducing into your body.'
No arrests have been made in the case. DTF said the bag could not immediately be linked to an individual, and the investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
