By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the results of week one of “Operation Padlock to Protect” — a sustained multi-agency enforcement action to shut down illegal smoke and cannabis shops across the five boroughs.
In the first week of enforcement, the City Sherriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force—made up of members from the Sheriff’s Office, the City Police Department, and the City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection—sealed 75 locations and issued nearly $6 million in penalties. The Sherriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force conducted operations on May 4, 7, 9, and 11.
In its first week of operations, the Sherriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force conducted 150 inspections of unlicensed locations in the vicinity of schools or houses of worship allegedly selling cannabis, THC edibles, THC vape, untaxed cigarettes, flavored tobacco, flavored vapes, or other tobacco products in the confines of the NYPD’s eight borough commands.
File Photo
Councilwoman Ariola in March, following the second raid of Howard Puff Convenience.
Inspections resulted in:
- 77 cease and desist orders and 75 shops sealed.
- 370 notices of violations holding 3,878 counts of violations across NYPD, DCWP, and the Sheriff’s Office.
- More than $5,960,000 in civil penalties issued.
Parents, businesses, elected officials, community groups, criminal justice advocates, and more have been alarmed by the scourge of illegal operators in every neighborhood across the five boroughs and applaud the Adams administration’s decisive action.
“I was proud to deliver a historic victory for the City of New York when my SMOKEOUT Act passed in the state budget,” said Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Woodhaven). “Now, the City has the authority to use its full manpower to shut down illegal shops for good. These past few months, I launched ‘Operation: SMOKEOUT’ that brought New Yorkers together across all five boroughs with the common cause of shutting down these shops. I am grateful to Mayor Adams for his support. Parents, children, business owners, and community leaders all stepped up and spoke out. The inclusion of SMOKEOUT Act in the budget was a win for public safety, common sense, and the health of our children. The people have spoken, and Albany has listened. I look forward to joining Sheriff Miranda on raids of smoke shops across our city so we can smoke ‘em out and shut them down for good.”
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), who has targeted such illegal shops for two years, said, “It is great to see this determined effort from the mayor’s office to shut down these operations. For far too long, unlicensed cannabis and smoke shops have plagued our streets. This latest initiative sends a clear message that illegal operations will not be tolerated in New York City, and I applaud the mayor for instituting this crackdown.”
Last year, Ariola took the initiative and, after a cascade of constituent complaints, Ariola conducted an undercover sting at Howard Puff Convenience—a smoke shop in Old Howard Beach with a history of selling untaxed cigarettes and unlicensed cannabis products. She purchased a pack of unstamped Marlboro Light 100s for $10, recording the entire transaction. Ariola sent the footage to the Queens District Attorney’s Office. In October 2023, the NYPD, City Sheriff, and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection raided the shop. Officials hit Howard Puff operators with $58,200 in fines and seized illegitimate products.
In March, authorities raided Howard Puff again. A shop employee was arrested and more than 400 packs of untaxed cigarettes and 30-plus pounds of illicit marijuana were removed from the store, which has since been marked by the NYPD for nuisance abatement.
