Nassau County police said six men were arrested after officers found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, was being sold at five smoke shops, including one in Mineola.
Search warrants were used at the smoke shops, including Evolve Smoke Shop on Jericho Turnpike. Police said during the searches “large quantities of Tetrahydrocannabinol were recovered, along with MDMA, Heroin and U.S. Currency.”
Other locations that were searched included Evolve Smoke Shops in Bethpage, Hicksville and two in Farmingdale.
Police arrested Mohamed Elfeky, 31, Hardik Sureshbhai Patel, 24, Rashmin S. Patel, 27, Mauleshkumar R. Patel, 36, Manpreet Walia, 25, and Mahendrakumar V. Patel, 36.
Evolve Smoke Shop has locations in Farmingdale, Hicksville, Mineola, Melville and South Farmingdale, along with other Suffolk County locations.
Elfeky has been charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth-degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh-degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third-degree. He was also charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth-degree.
The other five defendants were all charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth-degree and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth-degree. Each has pleaded not guilty.
Efforts to reach their lawyer for comment were unavailing.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
