Alleged drug trafficking scheme used vape shops to sell marijauna to minors

Fairfax County police say storage units filled with drugs were rented by a local group of suspected drug traffickers who are accused of using a chain of tobacco vape shops to sell drugs to minors.

A father and his two adult sons are facing drug and money laundering charges after a years-long investigation uncovered an alleged drug trafficking scheme up and down the east coast that was selling marijauna and other cannabis products illegally through dozens of area tobacco and vape shops.

Police say the family at the heart of the drug trafficking operation used a warehouse in Lorton, Virginia as the hub to house the illegal marijuana products. Police say they also recovered psilocybin mushrooms and synthetic urine, advertised as a way to beat a drug test.

From the warehouse, police say the products were sold out of dozens of Tobacco King vape shops throughout Fairfax County.

Fairfax County police are assisting with the heavy lift of going through storage units packed to the gills with jars and bags of marijuana.

Police recently executed more than a dozen search warrants on area vape shops all at the same time and recovered more than $2 million of illegal drugs, half a million in cash and seized more than a dozen bank accounts.

Fairfax County police say tobacco vape shops have snuck up on the community.

“I would describe tobacco vape shops as dens of ill repute and hives of corruption,” said Chief Kevin Davis with Fairfax County police.

Tobacco vape shops enjoy a notably unregulated market. Right now, a piece of legislation on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk would add some oversight to this booming business.

In just two years, police say the number of vape shops in Fairfax doubled, with currently 116 open. Last year alone, police responded to more than 1,300 calls for service at vape shops and made more than 20 arrests. More than half of those arrests were minors.

“Tobacco vape shops have snuck up on our community and they’re disproportionately hitting our young people,” Davis said.

Fairfax County police say this bust might just be the tip of an iceberg. And the investigation isn’t over — police say there could be more charges and even more arrests.

But police say the real issue is the lack of regulation for these tobacco vape shops because, right now, every one of the vape shops involved in the bust is back open for business.