During an official inspection of a tobacco shop suspected of distributing cannabis without a proper license, approximately six kilograms of crack cocaine were seized on Friday, August 9, 2024. MAZEN TAHHAN was allegedly behind the counter when members of the New York Sheriff’s Office Joint Compliance Task Force (“Joint Task Force”) arrived at the shop at 20 Clinton Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
After searching the location, Field Intelligence Officers with the 7thth The police have arrested TAHHAN.
Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Attorney, and New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban announced the arrest today following an arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court over the weekend. A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Attorney charges TAHHAN with first- and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia.
Special Prosecutor for Drug Crimes Bridget G. Brennan said: “This case demonstrates the importance of collaborative efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal cannabis stores. We will continue to investigate whether cannabis stores are hiding dangerous narcotics to protect the health and safety of our communities.”
Police Commissioner Edward Caban said, “The safe sale and distribution of legal cannabis in New York City requires a licensed, regulated and standardized industry. When unlicensed cannabis operators allegedly violate the law, they pose a risk to the public safety and health of our communities and destabilize the legal industry. The NYPD and our partners on the Task Force will continue to use all available resources to enforce existing regulations and, most importantly, protect New Yorkers from all types of illegal drugs.”
The Joint Task Force is comprised of members of the Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). The NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Manhattan South and Midtown North Precinct assisted in the investigation.
On August 9, 2024, at approximately 12:45 p.m., members of the Joint Task Force arrived at 20 Clinton Street. TAHHAN was reportedly the only person in the store. Packaging for cannabis products and other cannabis paraphernalia were nearby and in plain sight.
Officers entered an office space in the back of the store and saw a large quantity of alleged crack cocaine in large zip-lock bags and white plastic containers. Also in the office were several scales, thousands of empty glassine envelopes and plastic capsules, and hundreds of empty paper wrappers, all allegedly used to package narcotics. Officers allegedly recovered the keys to the store and $1,876 in cash from TAHHAN.
A field test by the NYPD identified the seized narcotics as cocaine. TAHHAN was arraigned on Saturday, August 10, 2024, in Manhattan Criminal Court, where a judge set bail at $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan thanked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. and praised the SNP Litigation Division, which 7th The Precinct Field Intelligence Officers, the New York Sheriff’s Office Joint Compliance Task Force, and the NYPD’s Manhattan South and Midtown North Precinct Narcotics Boroughs for their work in the investigation.
