New York City’s Queens district law enforcement department has launched a major crackdown, seizing approximately 4 tons of illegal marijuana and related products worth an estimated $10 million from a warehouse in Queens. Two suspects from Brooklyn were arrested on the spot. This large-scale drug bust has exposed the staggering scale of the underground marijuana market in New York and highlights the authorities’ determination to combat illegal marijuana transactions.
According to a statement released by the Queens district attorney Katz’s office on September 20, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on September 17 at a warehouse located at 88-08 Little Neck Parkway in the Floral Park community. They discovered around 4 tons (8,000 pounds) of marijuana and its illegal products, stored in two dump trucks.
Moreover, officers also found and seized small amounts of methamphetamine and products containing Psilocybin (commonly known as “magic mushrooms”). Additionally, they found a separate area within the warehouse suspected to be used for producing concentrated marijuana products. The process involves extracting liquid essence from the marijuana plant through pressing and then placing it in plastic vials.
At the same time, two suspects, 31-year-old Awad Aziz and 34-year-old Muneer Kassim, both from Brooklyn, were arrested nearby. They were arraigned on the 19th and are charged with second, fourth, and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as two counts of first-degree criminal possession of marijuana. The two suspects will appear in court again on November 12. If convicted, they could each face up to 10 years in prison.
District Attorney Katz pointed out that the proliferation of illegal marijuana shops in the community is fueled by these large warehouses that serve as suppliers, operating without any regulation. “We are taking action against these locations to prevent unregulated and untaxed dangerous products from being sold in our community,” she stated.
This operation was conducted jointly by the Queens district attorney’s office, the New York City Police Department, and the New York City Sheriff’s Office. With the legalization of marijuana in New York State, authorities are ramping up efforts to combat unauthorized marijuana production and sales activities.