Officers Work Hard To Take Kush Off The Streets

Officers Work Hard To Take Kush Off The Streets

Even with the legalization of cannabis becoming a hot topic as of late, there are still undercover operations taking place in which investigators are trying to take drugs off the streets.  The county just won a restraining order against Smoke & Tote Shop in Texas, making it impossible for the shop owner, Sabrina Polkey, to continue selling kush. Numerous Houston police investigations led to the arrests of those transacting there between October 2016 to February 2017.  During the few months’ time, the police have seized nearly 300 grams of cannabis and recovered various weapons, including guns such as a sawed off shotgun and a revolver, in their sting operations.  The officers were far from undercover during the investigators, simply showing up at the shop and quickly catching people selling inside and outside, handcuffing individuals for possession.

Polkey is the defendant in the lawsuit the county issued following the order that was put into place.  The attorney’s office claimed there was no way she would have been unaware of what was going on in her store, especially considering the police department’s numerous stings and the arrests made.  If the county wins the lawsuit, the shop will be permanently shut down.  “My office will continue to work with law enforcement to send the message to store owners and landlords that these dangerous designer drugs will not be tolerated in Harris County,” the County Attorney said in a statement.

In an unrelated attempt to take cannabis off the streets in the same area which occurred on Wednesday, April 19th, Houston police and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office seized 550 pounds of synthetic kush in an Alief home.  This marks the largest bust yet, worth $2.5 million.  Officers discovered another 10 lbs of kush in storage units operated by the homeowners, Ataur Rehman Malik, 38, and Mohammed Ebrahim Moton, 47.  The two men were placed under arrest and subsequently charged with delivery of synthetic cannabinoids. The bust came after undercover detectives held a sting operation at a nearby apartment complex where Moton visibly carried two large trash bags of what was later discovered to be kush, placing them into the trunk of a car parked outside.  Malik then approached the vehicle, opened the trunk and removed the bags.  He was observed engaging in a narcotics transaction with another individual. Investigators said the Alief home was owned primarily for the transacting of kush, and the arrests were part of a six month long initiative to erase the drug from the streets, which is also known K2 or spice. If the two men are convicted of the crime, they could be facing up to a $100,000 fine and life in prison.  They are being held in the Harris County Jail with a bond of $300,000.

A press conference announcing the arrests of the two men was held the following day with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County DA Kim Ogg, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo all in attendance.  Beside Acevedo sat the 100,000 doses of the drug as he issued a word of caution to anyone who is manufacturing it.  “Quit, or move out of the City of Houston while you still can,” he said, “Because we will find you.  And, you will do some real serious time in prison.”  He added, “We will not tolerate the manufacturing, sale and distribution of this drug.”  

Sources:

After HPD’s Largest Kush Bust Yet, Harris County Moves to Shut Down Another Smoke Shop

Houston Police Arrest 2 Men, Seize $2.5 Million In Massive Kush Bust