OLD TAPPAN, N.J. –– Authorities raided Garden State News in Old Tappan’s Bi State Plaza, accusing two men of distributing drugs out of the store.
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Shazeb Ahmed, 28, and Salaman Ahmed, 19, both of Old Tappan were arrested on various drug and money laundering charges.
“In August 2017, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received information that illegal drugs, primarily hash-oil cartridges utilized for vaporizer pens, were being distributed from the Garden State News store located at 216 Old Tappan Road in Old Tappan, New Jersey,” said Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal, in a statement.
“In response, members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, the Dumont Police Department, and the Old Tappan Police Department initiated a narcotics investigation. The investigation revealed that, from the Garden State News store that is family owned and operated by the Ahmeds, Shahzeb and Salman Ahmed were involved in the distribution of controlled dangerous substances in the area of Old Tappan,” said Grewal.
Search warrants were executed on Nov. 1 at the Garden State News store and the Ahmed residence, Grewal said, adding that Shahzeb Ahmed was working at the store when the search warrant was executed.
(Photo courtesy BCPO)
“He possessed hash-oil vaporizer cartridges on his person. Several additional hash-oil vaporizer cartridges were located in the store behind the sales counter. These items were seized as evidence,” Grewal said.
At the residence, authorities seized about 215 hash oil vaporizer cartridges, several packages of THC-infused edibles, greenish-brown vegetation suspected of being marijuana, numerous Adderall pills and drug paraphernalia, Grewal said. Authorities also seized cash at both the residence and business, and froze bank accounts of the two men, Grewal said.
“The total amount of U.S. currency seized is $100,627.02,” he said. “The total street value of the controlled dangerous substances seized on this date is approximately $20,000.”
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Shahzeb Ahmed was arrested on Nov. 1. Salaman Ahmed surrendered to authorities on Nov. 3. Both men are individually charged with: money laundering (second degree); two counts of possession with intent to distribute hash oil (third degree); possession with the intent to distribute hash oil within 500 feet of a public park (third degree); two counts of possession with intent to distribute hash oil within 1,000 feet of a school zone (third degree); possession of Adderall (third degree); possession of drug paraphernalia associated to the distribution of CDS (fourth degree); possession of marijuana under 50 grams (disorderly person’s offense). They both have court dates on Nov. 22.
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“Prosecutor Grewal states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and would also like to thank the Old Tappan Police Department, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, and the Dumont Police Department for their assistance in this investigation,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
–Northern Valley Press staff