Police conducted a major drug bust in Queens on Thursday, resulting in the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illegal marijuana and cannabis products.
The operation took place in a warehouse on Second Street in Astoria in the early morning hours of Aug. 8. Officers from the 114th Precinct were responding to a burglary at the scene, but what they found was something totally different.
The NYPD and the NYC Sheriff’s Office conducted the joint operation that uncovered a whopping amount of cannabis products that included a vape-making machine, pure THC concentrate, edibles, pre-rolls, flowers and vapes, NYC Anthony Sheriff told amNewYork Metro.
The confiscated products have a value of $5 million, Miranda said.
The two people trying to burglarize the warehouse to get at the drugs were arrested.
“That resulted in us working with the local precinct to obtain the search warrant and we got a search warrant for the warehouse,” Miranda said.
The spacious warehouse was a distribution center supplying products to other locations both in and outside of NYC.
“This is what impacts people’s quality of life on the street,” Miranda said. “However, we have to continue the ongoing investigations to find who is supplying these stores and where it’s being stored. This is also one of the mandates of the mayor’s office. This is part of the investigations that we will continue to conduct.”
Many of the confiscated products were packaged in colorful wrapping paper designed to catch the eye of consumers of all ages.
“That’s the danger of these things being supplied in communities. The packaging and the way it looks, it can be mistaken for regular candy. They are attracting a younger under-age population to use the product.
Miranda added that closing down illegal pot shops is important to him, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and communities across the city.
“Every community has been impacted by these illegal, unlicensed products, and every community has been complaining. It’s like the mayor said, ‘we’re hearing the voices of the community and we are responding and taking the appropriate steps to close these locations down.’”
The sheriff’s office has closed down over 850 locations in the city. The state has closed down an additional approximately 200 illegal pot shops.
New Yorkers who want to report an illegal pot shop in their neighborhoods can do so by emailing smokeshopcomplaints@sheriff.nyc.gov or calling 311.
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