STAMFORD, Conn. — A coordinated enforcement effort by Stamford Police and state agencies on Tuesday resulted in the seizure of over 1,700 illegal THC products and one arrest following a sweep of local smoke shops accused of selling to minors.
The operation, prompted by a spike in complaints about unregulated cannabis products and vape sales to underage customers, involved Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services.
Three stores were inspected:
At Cove Smoke Market, located at 841 Cove Road, undercover officers purchased a vape cartridge without being asked for identification. Police issued the clerk an infraction for illegal sale to a minor and seized 232 THC products.
At Smoke Clouds, 1138 East Main Street, no underage sales were observed, but authorities confiscated 1,290 illegal THC items and $1,528 in cash. Clerk Al Ammari Harwan, born July 18, 1994, was arrested and charged with possession of more than one kilo of marijuana and possession with intent to sell. His bond was set at $10,000, with a court appearance scheduled for April 15.
At Mohegan Smoke Shop, 946 Hope Street, an undercover purchase again revealed a failure to verify age. The clerk was issued a $750 infraction, marking a second offense, and 181 illegal THC products were taken.
Stamford Police said the department “remains committed to protecting public health and ensuring compliance with the law.”