Synthetic pot raid targets 15 area businesses, 14 arrested

Online Staff Report

Fifteen area businesses were targeted in a local law enforcement operation that resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals allegedly involved in selling K-2 synthetic marijuana.

Effective Jan. 1, the State of Illinois had amended the controlled substance act to include synthetic marijuana. For several months since the new law went into effect, the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office has been working with local law enforcement to develop a strategy to enforce the new law. The recent operation was the culmination of those efforts.

Businesses and individuals implicated in the K-2 operation are as follows:

• BP Gas Station, 8332 N. Second St., Machesney Park;

• City Tobacco & More, 311 Mulberry St., Rockford — Business condemned; Mohammad U. Saleem and Joyce N. Drumm charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia;

• Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco, 3019 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford — Business condemned; Mamoon F. Alfarah charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance;

• Discount Cigarettes, Pop & Chips, 2635 11th St., Rockford — Andrew Lockner charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance;

• Discount Mart & Pop, 1244 Broadway, Rockford — Azeem Mohamad Uddin charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church;

• East State Market & Discount Cigarettes, 813 E. State St., Rockford — Business condemned; Basheer Ali Mohammed Al Sahmi and Saleh Ali Ahmed Dihbash charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• On the Way, 2627 Auburn St., Rockford — Asif A. Malik charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance;

• Shell Express, 913 Kilburn, Rockford — Mohommad Zia charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a Rockford Housing Authority property;

• Smoke Shop, 10129 N. Second St., Machesney Park — Jasmine Patel charged with possession of a controlled substance;

• Stateline Liquors, 816 Shirland Ave., South Beloit, Ill. — Ashish Patel charged with possession of a controlled substance;

• Summit Mobil, 1344 E. State St., Rockford — Penny S. Lakani charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school;

• Tobacco City, 404 Gardner St., South Beloit, Ill.;

• Tobacco Express, 3600 N. Main St.;

• Tobacco One Plus, 1221 Sandy Hollow Road, Rockford — Ashraf K. Sheih charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; and

• U.S. Tobacco, 180 N. Mulford Road, Rockford — Salameh Abufanas charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school.