A multi-agency narcotics team raided a smoke shop steps from a child daycare center on Rayford Road on Tuesday, Aug. 18, seizing nearly seven pounds of marijuana, more than 5,200 grams of THC products, a firearm and roughly $30,000 in cash suspected of being tied to drug sales.
The search warrant was executed at Exotic Kings Smoke & Vape, 324 Rayford Road, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. The shop sits directly next to a child daycare center in south Montgomery County.
Members of the Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team, Homeland Security Investigations and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Crime Reduction Unit carried out the operation. The sheriff's office said the raid capped an extensive narcotics investigation launched after multiple tips from the public about illegal activity at the business.
The THC haul included over 1,200 grams of vape devices and more than 4,000 grams of edible products. Investigators also recovered one firearm from the premises. Law enforcement seized approximately $30,000 in cash they believe was generated by illicit drug sales at the location.
Mohamed Elwaseem, 25, was taken into custody and charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and is being held on a $50,000 bond.
No additional suspects have been named.
The sheriff's office has not announced a court date or further charges. The involvement of Homeland Security Investigations, a federal agency, suggests the probe may extend beyond the single arrest, though no officials have confirmed additional targets.
The daycare center's proximity to the shop underscored the operation's urgency, according to the sheriff's office. The announcement was posted on Sheriff Wesley Doolittle's official Facebook page.
Anyone with information about criminal activity in the area can contact Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867. Tips are anonymous, and information leading to a felony arrest may qualify for a cash reward.
