Operation Smoke Out: Suffolk County Police Arrest Store Owner for Tasers, Nab Employees for Selling Vapes to Minors
Suffolk County Police today arrested a store owner for possessing tasers, as well as employees of two stores for selling vape products to an underage person.
As part of the department’s “Operation Smoke Out,” Third Precinct Crime Section officers conducted a compliance check at several stores in relations to the sales of vape products and found two stores were not in compliance.
The following people were charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child and Sale of Flavored Vape Products, a public health law violation:
• Malik Gunes, 55, of Bay Shore, an employee of Vishma Smoke, located at 455 Montauk Highway, West Islip
• Ajantha Ihalagama, 40, of Bay Shore, an employee of Bay Smoke Shop, located at 1544 Union Boulevard, Bay Shore
The owner of Vishma Smoke, Warnakulasuriya Fernando, 50, of Bay Shore, was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon after two tasers were determined to be on display for sale at the store.
Between both stores, approximately 10,000 flavored vapes were seized by police.