Detectives from the King County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the Tobacco Depot in Maple Valley on July 12 after spending nearly eight months investigating complaints of unlawful activity at the store.
According to King County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, the search warrant was the culmination of the long investigation regarding the sales of “spice” at the Tobacco Depot, located in the 26900 block of Maple Valley Black Diamond Road.
“Spice” is a synthetic marijuana product that consists of green vegetation that resembles marijuana which is then coated in chemicals that mimic the euphoric effects of marijuana when smoked.
The product is often marketed as “potpourri.”
In December of 2011, the active chemicals in spice were made Schedule I controlled substances.
During the investigation, detectives also discovered that the owner of the business was selling illegal weapons such as brass knuckles, butterfly knives and nun-chucks.
In addition to selling illegal weapons the suspect was also selling glass “crack pipes.”
These pipes are used for the ingestion of crack cocaine or methamphetamine. Additionally, the suspect was selling glass pipes and bongs commonly used to smoke marijuana.
Maple Valley Municipal Code makes it illegal to sell drug paraphernalia unless proper signage is posted indicating that such items are for sale in the business, and that persons under the age of 18 are not allowed inside the business unless accompanied by a parent.
These legible signs did not exist at the business.
During the service of the warrant, detectives seized over a pound of spice, a small amount of “bath salts,” hundreds of crack pipes, thousands of baggies commonly used to package drugs for sale, Nitrous Oxide containers for over 1,300 individual doses and small inhalers used to ingest Nitrous Oxide, commonly called “whippets.”
Detectives also confiscated a number of illegal weapons including 10 sets of nun-chucks, 20 sets of metal knuckles, one set of electrified metal knuckles, and three butterfly knives.
