successful crackdown<\/a> on illegal cannabis shops had pushed operations from storefronts into residential setups like the one shut down in Mott Haven on Thursday.<\/p>\n\u201c\u200aLet me be very clear: anyone selling illegal [cannabis] products in New York City\u2014 you can run, but you can\u2019t hide,\u201d Deputy Mayor Daughtry said.
\n![\"Deputy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250821-brown-bx-weed-bust-9.jpg\")
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Kaz Daughtry told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that it did not matter where illicit cannabis dealers set up shop\u2014 that the city would find them, not matter what. Credit: Sadie Brown\n<\/p>\n
The investigation was a collaboration between the NYC Sheriff\u2019s Department, NYPD, Bronx Narcotics and the Bronx District Attorney\u2019s office. NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda said that in addition to the cannabis products, the Sheriff\u2019s department also seized $20,000 in cash, a .22 caliber revolver gun, some crystal meth and illegal tobacco products.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250821-brown-bx-weed-bust-7.jpg\")
A joint task force seized an estimated ton of illegal cannabis products as well as a .22 caliber revolver , $20,000 in cash, some crystal meth and some illegal tobacco products. Credit: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n
The security at the secret pot shop was tight. The Bronx Times saw security feeds with at least 14 different cameras, as well as razor wire and spikes atop the side entrance to the illegal bud bar.<\/p>\n
Law enforcement officers told the Bronx Times that the setup for the illegal shop was sophisticated and out of the ordinary for an illicit seller. To gain access, potential buyers had to send photos of their valid identification as well as an email address. Only then would they be given their own barcode, which would be scanned at least twice by security guards before they were allowed access to the illegal cannabis club, according to officials.<\/p>\n
Security, exclusivity and luxury were built into the sales model. The illegal shop had velvet, crowd control ropes stashed to the side of the entrance. The main area of the operation looked like a full service bar, complete with a back display of brightly colored products and vacuum sealed packages of weed. There were multiple flat screen TVs displaying the cannabis menu and pricing and even a tip jar on the counter. The back patio had custom murals and strings of lights like the patio of a nightclub.<\/p>\n
![\"Officials](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250821-brown-bx-weed-bust-10.jpg\")
Sources told the Bronx Times that the illegal pot shop that a city task force raided on Thursday in the South Bronx, was sophisticated, noting the extensive security protocols and \u201celaborate\u201d offerings. Credit: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n
Law enforcement officials credited community involvement for its success in taking down the illegal establishment saying that they got 311 calls complaining of illegally parked vehicles, constant foot traffic and the smell of marijuana.<\/p>\n
The Bronx Times spoke with neighbors who said they weren\u2019t aware that a group was operating an illegal cannabis shop just steps from their door. A neighbor named Jose, who lives nearby, said that he saw traffic in the area, but didn\u2019t realize that it was illegal drug activity.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThere\u2019s a lot of people that live around here, this is a residential area with a lot of people,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s two or three o\u2019clock in the morning and we see people coming through here going home or going to work\u2014 they going to party. We don\u2019t know. We mind our business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials said they arrested 11 people who ranged in ages from their early 20s to their 60s and noted that one person had been previously convicted of murder. Sheriff Miranda said during a press conference that law enforcement would continue investigating the operation and try to link the two busts, as well as the individuals funding the illegal setups.<\/p>\n
![\"Bronx](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250821-brown-bx-weed-bust-13.jpg\")
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson expressed deep distress over the illicit pot shop\u2019s use of products that mimic popular chocolate and candy products that children enjoy. Credit: Sadie Brown<\/p>\n
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said that she was particularly alarmed at the amount of cannabis products that looked similar to common chocolates and candy products that are frequently marketed to children.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aThese are individuals that take advantage of access to apartments and houses and homes and they sell these unlicensed, untested and illegal products, and they do it under the guise of Jolly Ranchers,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cI like Jolly Ranchers! Children eat candy and it\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said that law enforcement and elected officials will not stop targeting illegal shops.\n<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aWhen we allow this to happen, we are saying that it\u2019s okay and it\u2019s not okay,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cIt\u2019s never okay, and we will never accept it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Law enforcement shut down an illegal cannabis operation out of Mott Haven on Thursday, seizing about 2,000 lbs…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":168962,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,96755,7510,96756,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-168961","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-budzotic","10":"tag-daily-newsletter","11":"tag-illegal-cannabis","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-city","14":"tag-newyork","15":"tag-newyorkcity","16":"tag-ny","17":"tag-nyc","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-united-states-of-america","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115077714226847782","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Law](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250821-brown-bx-weed-bust-5.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n