Six Arlington vape stores were raided by local, state and federal law enforcement last week as part of a regional investigation.
The Arlington County Police Department, with the assistance of Virginia State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, executed search warrants at six tobacco shops on March 18, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
No arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing, she noted.
The Arlington raids were part of a large-scale operation targeting a regional drug trafficking organization operating out of vape stores, according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which announced the bust yesterday (Wednesday).
FCPD detectives that same day executed search warrants at 13 vape stores, two storage units, one vehicle and one warehouse in Fairfax County, along with three residences in Prince William County. In total, search warrants were executed at 20 locations across the region.
Detectives seized narcotics with an estimated street value of more than $2 million, along with over $500,000 in cash, FCPD said. They also seized and froze 30 bank accounts associated with the organization holding more than $100,000.
The confiscated substances included marijuana in various forms — flowers, vape cartridges, pre-rolls and edibles — as well as approximately 40 pounds of suspected mushroom-infused gummies, unknown pills and suspected prescription medications being sold without authorization, according to the FCPD press release. Two storage units contained hundreds of pounds of marijuana.
“If I had to describe the current state of tobacco and vape shops — not just here in Fairfax County, but in the entire national capital region — I would describe them as dens of ill repute and hives of corruption,” FCPD Chief Kevin Davis said, as reported by FFXnow.
Three Woodbridge men — 65-year-old Omar Salim, 36-year-old Saleh Salim and 39-year-old Saed Salim — were arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On March 21, detectives executed an additional search warrant at Saleh Salim’s Prince William County residence and recovered two rifles, four handguns and other evidence, FCPD said.
The vape shops raided in Fairfax County were all under the Tobacco King brand, according to FCPD. There are six Tobacco King locations in Arlington, and a tipster told ARLnow about police activity in front of the Langston Blvd store on March 18
“Around 12:30, 4 DEA agents plus an Arlington policeman arrived at Tobacco King & Vape, 4754 Langston Blvd,” the tipster told ARLnow, via email. “Unmarked black car blocked front of the store; white Arlington Police SUV went around back to block exit.”
While Virginia legalized the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older in 2021, sales of the drug remain illegal. The General Assembly this year sent a bill to Gov. Abigail Spanberger that would allow retail sales starting Jan. 1, 2027.
The multi-agency investigation also involved the Prince William County Police Department, the City of Manassas Police Department, the City of Manassas Park Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Town of Vienna Police Department, the City of Fairfax Police Department and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
