More arrests were made on Sunday in Suffolk County Police’s “Operation Smoke Out.” Officers arrested a store owner for possessing tasers and two store employees for selling vape products to an underage person on May 19th.
A compliance check, conducted by Third Precinct Crime Section officers, targeted several stores for the illegal sale of vape products. Two stores were found to be non-compliant with the law.
Malik Gunes, 55, of Bay Shore, an employee of Vishma Smoke located at 455 Montauk Highway, West Islip, and Ajantha Ihalagama, 40, of Bay Shore, an employee of Bay Smoke Shop located at 1544 Union Boulevard, Bay Shore, were both charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child and Sale of Flavored Vape Products, a public health law violation.
Additionally, Warnakulasuriya Fernando, 50, the owner of Vishma Smoke, was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon after officers discovered two tasers on display for sale at the store. This added a more severe dimension to the ongoing crackdown.
As part of the sweep, police seized approximately 10,000 flavored vape products from the two stores, underscoring the widespread nature of the violations.
This operation is part of the month-long initiative “Operation Smoke Out,” aimed at curbing underage vape sales and addressing community concerns. The initiative, reported earlier by litruecrime.com, highlights the department’s commitment to safeguarding public health and youth well-being.
See more arrests made during Operation Smoke Out by clicking here.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
