Council Member Robert Holden, representing neighborhoods in City Council District 30 — which includes Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Rego Park and parts of Ridgewood — has announced the closure of four illegal smoke shops in the district as part of Operation Padlock to Protect.
“Operation Padlock to Protect,” a multi-agency task force comprised of the NYC Sheriff’s Office, the NYPD and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), has allowed the city to tackle the ongoing smoke shop issue since early this summer.
Holden shares that The Sheriff Joint Compliance Task Force (SJCTF) inspected and padlocked the following unlicensed stores, effectively shutting them down:
- 65-59 Myrtle Ave. (Sky High Corp)
- 68-01 Fresh Pond Rd. (Bang Vape Convenience Shop)
- 64-25 Grand Ave. (Maspeth Convenience M&M Smoke Shop)
- 66-93 Fresh Pond Rd. (Ridgewood Gift Shop)
The council member remains vigilant and active, as the proliferation of illegal smoke shops across the city remain. The city’s Operation Padlock to Protect initiative has closed over 195 locations in Queens and hundreds more throughout the five boroughs.
“I want to thank Sheriff Anthony Miranda and the men and women of the NYC Sheriff’s Office for their dedication and hard work in the fight against these illegal shops,” Holden shared in his announcement. “This is a major win for our community, but we won’t stop until they are all closed for good. These illegal operations have no place in our neighborhoods.”
The council member has worked with law enforcement to shutter smoke shops in his district in prior months.
In March, Holden joined NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda and law enforcement as they raided three smoke shops. The raid led to the arrest of three smoke shop employees and the discovery of hundreds of pounds in loose tobacco, THC and cannabis products.
In July, Holden shared the raid of multiple illegal smoke shops in his district. In Rego Park, law enforcement raided a convenience store located at 91-08 63rd Dr. on Tuesday, July 23, and discovered multiple illegal cannabis products, according to the NYC Sheriff’s Office. THC edibles, vape products and cannabis pre-rolls were discovered and seized from the property.
At another illegal smoke shop location, on 60-03 Eliot Ave., near the border of Maspeth and Ridgewood, law enforcement raided and padlocked the establishment on Saturday, July 27, officials say.
As a preemptive measure and in response to the existing efforts across the city to rid neighborhoods of illegal smoke shops, Holden’s office has created a Google form where residents can report unlawful smoke shops to his office.
