Nearly four tons of illegal cannabis and related products, valued at around $10 million, were seized during a raid at a Floral Park storage facility, with two Brooklyn men arrested, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The raid, conducted on Tuesday, Sept. 17, was the result of a joint investigation by the NYPD and the NYC Sheriff’s Office, which began in early August.
Aziz Awad, 31, and Muneer Kassim, 34, were charged with criminal possession of cannabis and controlled substances after authorities discovered cannabis, crystal meth, and Psilocybin products at the site.
Law enforcement, with a search warrant in hand, raided the location at 88-08 Little Neck Parkway and found an extensive operation involving the production of concentrated cannabis.
Officers found equipment allegedly used to press vegetative cannabis into a liquid extract, which was then loaded into plastic cartridges.
The seized products weighed around four tons and required two dump trucks to remove them. Both men were arrested on-site.
Queens District Attorney Katz emphasized the danger posed by unregulated cannabis shops: “Large warehouse operations supply the proliferation of illegal cannabis shops in our neighborhoods without any oversight or regulations in place.
We are targeting these locations to prevent dangerous, unregulated, and untaxed products from being sold in our communities.”
Aziz and Kassim face charges of criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree and could face up to ten years in prison if convicted. Their next court appearance is set for Nov. 12.
This operation underscores law enforcement’s commitment to tackling illegal drug production and sales across New York City.
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