Suffolk County Police yesterday arrested four men for selling drugs, some disguised as candy bars, at stores in Bay Shore and West Islip.
Following community complaints, Suffolk County Police Third Squad Special Operations Team (SOT) detectives, with the assistance of Narcotics Section and Criminal Intelligence Section detectives executed search warrants at Exit 42 Deli, located at 270 Spur Drive South in Bay Shore, and Legit 100 Smoke Shop, located at 165 Higbie Lane in West Islip, at 4 p.m. and seized large quantities of mushrooms with psilocybin, concentrated cannabis, marijuana and cocaine.
Additionally, detectives discovered narcotics packaged as name-brand candy bars and marketed toward children near the front door of the West Islip store, which is located within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.
Following the execution of the search warrants, the owners of the businesses, Ali Anwar, 44, and Hasnain Anwar, 42, were both arrested at or near their homes. Two employees of the stores, Joseph Orso, 47, and Shevin Mahabal, 30, were also arrested.
Ali Anwar, of 136 Higbie Lane, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Degree, Trademark Counterfeiting 2nd Degree, two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree, and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance In or Near School grounds.
Hasnain Anwar, of 2529 Ocean Ave., Seaford, was charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled
Substance 5th Degree, and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance In or Near School Grounds.
Mahabal, of 1284 South Street, Valley Stream, was charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled
Substance 5th Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance In or Near School Grounds, Criminal
Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th Degree, Criminal Possession of Cannabis 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of Cannabis 3rd Degree, and Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia 2nd Degree.
Orso, of 31 Morton Ave., Hempstead, was charged with four counts of Criminal Possession of a
Controlled Substance 5th Degree.
All four men are being held overnight at the Third Precinct and are scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on October 19.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
