Da Spot Smoke Shop, Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ
Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose applauds the successful operations led by the Jersey City Police Department resulting in 5 arrests, 26 summonses issued, large amounts of suspected illegal substances recovered, and the shutdown of 5 illegal smoke shops following coordinated enforcement operations targeting the sale of unregulated marijuana and prohibited products, such as flavored vapes marketed to minors.
The raids, led by the JCPD Quality of Life Unit with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), were recently executed following a weeks-long investigation prompted by repeated community complaints.
Investigators recovered nearly 16 pounds of suspected CDS marijuana, including more than 600 plastic bags of suspected CDS, and seized approximately $9,000 in suspected narcotics proceeds.
In addition, a significant volume of illegal THC and vape products were confiscated, including:
- 106 illegal THC flavored vape products
- 8 illegal flavored vape products
- 55 adulterated food items
- 23 pouches of candy-style THC
- 310 THC-infused gummy packages
- 5 mushroom-infused bars
- 14 jars of 10,000mg THC gummies
Health officials estimate that the recovered gummies alone represent approximately 400,000 individual 10mg THC doses, a volume exceeding what would be reasonably expected for legal distribution and underscoring the scale of the illegal operation.
“This was a precision, multi-agency enforcement effort built on intelligence, community complaints, and strong investigative work,” said Director Ambrose. “We are not only shutting down illegal operations, we are dismantling the networks behind them and holding bad actors accountable for their actions.”
Additionally, numerous CDS distribution-related paraphernalia items were also recovered during the searches.
A total of 26 summonses were issued for violations including unlicensed smoke shop operations, illegal sales of flavored vape products, adulterated food products, unauthorized cannabis establishment activity, prohibited window coverage, and maintaining a nuisance.
“This joint operation sends a clear message that unregulated smoke shops selling illicit and potentially dangerous products will not be tolerated,” said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “These businesses often operate outside the law, putting unknown substances into our communities. We will continue to work with our partners to shut down these illegal operations.”
Five establishments were shut down as a result of the operation:
- Paper & Grabba Tobacco, 164.5 Martin Luther King Drive
- Da Spot Smoke Shop, 92 Martin Luther King Drive
- Highline Premium, 40 Martin Luther King Drive
- All Stars Smoke Shop, 152 Danforth Avenue
- Duncan Smokes, 180 Duncan Avenue
The investigation was led by the JCPD Quality of Life Unit, with support from the DEA. Day-of operations and the execution of warrants included assistance from the following agencies: JCPD Street Crimes Unit, South and West District Patrol Units, Emergency Service Unit, Municipal Prosecutor’s Office, Office of Code Compliance, Department of Health & Human Services, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and Hudson County Consumer Affairs.
The Jersey City Health, Fire, and Code Compliance Departments, along with the Hudson County Consumer Protection Unit and the Department of Weights and Measures, issued additional violations across all 5 locations.
The investigation remains active, with additional enforcement actions possible.
The Jersey City Police Department continues to encourage residents to report suspicious activity by contacting the Jersey City Police Department or submitting tips anonymously via email at policetips@njjcps.org or by calling 855-JCP-TIPS.