Vape cartridges, illegal hashish confiscated in search of 3 Hamilton smoke shops

Businesses previously cited for underage selling of tobacco products.

Hamilton police and the Butler County B.U.R.N. (Butler Undercover Regional Narcotic) Unit served search warrants Wednesday at smoke shops in the city.

The warrants were the culmination of an ongoing drug investigation that came from complaints from citizens regarding the underage sales of tobacco and sales of vape cartridges that contain hashish, a schedule 1 narcotic.

The shops searched Wednesday are:

VIP Smoke Shop, 970 Main St.

Smoke & Vape Zone, 735 South Erie Blvd.

VIP Smoke Shop, 1755 South Erie Blvd.

The search warrants resulted in the confiscation of over 300 vape cartridges that contained the illegal hashish, and were being trafficked out of the businesses.

All three of the businesses had previously been cited for the underage selling of tobacco products by the Hamilton Police Department during compliance checks. They were not cited today, but charges will likely be filed in the future.

It is illegal for any business to sell cigarettes, tobacco, or alternative nicotine products to anyone younger than 21. This law was changed in October of 2019, raising the minimum age to purchase these products from 18 to 21.

Anyone with information on businesses selling to underage persons, contact the Hamilton Police Department Neighborhood Policing / Vice Section at (513) 868-5811 extension 2001.

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