Councilman Robert Holden holds up a container of pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes during the raid at Metro King Deli, 73-02 Metropolitan Ave.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Robert Holden’s office
The New York City Sheriff’s Office and New York Police Department busted two more illegal tobacco shops in Rego Park and Maspeth late last month, adding to hundreds of tobacco shops shut down across the city as part of “Operation Padlock to Protect.”
Operation Padlock to Protect, a multi-agency task force comprised of the New York City Sheriff’s Office, the NYPD and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), has enabled the city to get a handle on its ongoing smoke shop problem over the past three months.
Council member Robert Holden, who represents the neighborhoods in the 30th District – which includes Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Rego Park and parts of Ridgewood – reported the success of the raids on Facebook last week.
He vowed to work with law enforcement to continue shutting down illegal smoke shops.
“With Operation Padlock to Protect in full swing, we are partnering with the New York City Sheriff and New York City Police Department to shut down illegal smoke shops in our borough,” Holden said in a social media post.
In Rego Park, police officers raided a convenience store at 91-08 63rd Drive on Tuesday, July 23, and discovered several illegal cannabis products, according to the New York City Sheriff’s Office. THC-containing edibles, vape products and cannabis pre-rolls were discovered and seized from the property.
At another illegal tobacco shop, located at 60-03 Eliot Avenue, near the Maspeth-Ridgewood border, officers raided and padlocked the premises on Saturday, July 27, officials said.
Officials said police discovered and seized cannabis flowers, pre-rolled joints, THC vaping products and edibles at the property, like the one in Rego Park.
As a preventative measure and in response to existing citywide efforts to rid neighborhoods of illegal smoke shops, Holden’s office has created a Google form that residents can use to report illegal smoke shops to his office.
The city council had been working with law enforcement in recent months to close smoke shops in its district.
In March, Holden joined New York Sheriff Anthony Miranda and police officers in a raid on three tobacco shops. The raid resulted in the arrest of three tobacco shop employees and the discovery of hundreds of pounds of loose tobacco, THC and cannabis products.
In total, more than 195 locations in Queens and hundreds more across the five boroughs have been closed as part of the city’s Operation Padlock to Protect initiative. Holden assures that he will continue to work with law enforcement to crack down on illegal cannabis sales.
