Suffolk County cops caught 26 unlicensed pot outlets within the act throughout dozens of raids over only one week – seizing greater than 15,000 unlawful weed merchandise, officers mentioned Tuesday.
The countywide crackdown simply started Could 20 however has already seen 44 smoke outlets or comfort shops raided and resulted in seven arrests and 5 companies getting shut down completely, based on police.
“We aren’t going to permit the proliferation of unlawful marijuana outlets on this county,” Suffolk Govt Ed Romaine informed reporters at a information convention at police headquarters in Yaphank.
“Beneath the regulation, we not solely padlock their enterprise, however we seize all of their merchandise,” Romaine added, saying the county will probably incinerate the seized merchandise.
Police mentioned the largest busts to date got here from raids on Cloud 9 V in Farmingville; Merely Inexperienced in Coram; Vape Guru in Bay Shore; and The Norm smoke store in Patchogue.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina additionally revealed the raids discovered a few of these storefronts promoting unlawful fireworks, magic mushroom chocolate bars from Colorado — and flavored vape pods to minors.
He informed The Put up that the police labored along with city officers from throughout Suffolk County to establish places that have been probably promoting weed illegally.
“The locations that we hit, we requested our precinct commanders and our elected townspeople to provide us the spots that have been probably the most problematic in our communities, and people are the spots that we focused,” Catalina mentioned of the raids.
Officers promised extra raids to return.
“This isn’t nearly legality, it’s extra about security,” mentioned Suffolk Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., whose division labored in collaboration with police to conduct the raids.
“Merchandise bought outdoors of regulated channels could be harmful and untested,” mentioned Toulon Jr., referring to THC vape merchandise.
Officers mentioned the operation will proceed indefinitely — with dozens extra outlets already of their crosshairs.
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