$10 Million Marijuana Haul Found Hidden Above Queens Smoke Shop

More than 1,000 pounds of marijuana valued at $10 million were discovered stacked neatly on shelves inside an apartment above a smoke shop on Bell Boulevard, according to law enforcement officials.

The Sheriff’s Department and NYPD busted the unlicensed dispensary on Thursday after receiving multiple complaints from neighbors over the past year. Three people were arrested for felony marijuana possession.

“It means that a lot of people are coming in and buying product. By the way, who? They have no idea what it is, and that’s really the dangerous part about these types of shops,” authorities said.

Investigators allege the operation used a sophisticated concealment method. All unlicensed products were hidden in the second-floor apartment, with the storefront employing a trap door and pulley system to send items down to customers below. The cashier would catch the drugs from the chute like a shady drive-through.

“This was a very intricate takedown. This is a very intricate style of selling,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

Carson Grant, who owns a legal dispensary down the block, said the unlicensed shop — which sells unvetted products without paying the state’s 13% cannabis tax — has been undercutting his business.

“I’m looking for one thing, finally, that these children that used to come here and purchase their stuff not be able to get access to it anymore. And yes, I do expect to see an uptick in business,” Grant said.

This shop is one of 89 unlicensed dispensaries the Sheriff’s Department has shut down citywide so far this year, with 358 shops closed in total.