Operation Padlock: The latest on efforts to shut down illegal cannabis shops citywide
The sheriff's office has repeatedly pointed out that colorful, attention-grabbing labels are often used and intended to get the attention of teenagers who may enter the store.
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New York kicked off Operation Padlock in May in a concentrated effort to shut down illegal smoke shops, and the latest statistics show that over 900 shops have been shut down in that time.
According to the mayor's office, 199 stores have been shuttered in the Bronx as of Aug. 13, including a storefront at 711 Lydig Ave. The sheriff's office says an inspection at that location revealed illegal marijuana products inside, and the business owners now face $33,000 in fines and a padlock on their door.
MORE: Millions of dollars in illegal drugs taken off NYC streets after two major Bronx drug busts
In Brooklyn, 223 storefronts have been shut down as part of Operation Padlock. That includes a shop on Avenue T where the sheriff's office says that at least 50 pounds of illegal cannabis were found, as well as a printing press. Law enforcement officials are calling this location an undercover illegal manufacturer.
MORE: Police: Another illegal cannabis shop shut down in Bushwick
Mayor Eric Adams says that efforts have led to the confiscation of $60 million in illegal drugs, primarily unregulated cannabis products in the form of flower, pre-rolls, vapes and edibles.
The sheriff's office has repeatedly pointed out that colorful, attention-grabbing labels are often used and intended to get the attention of teenagers who may enter the store.
