Over the past 12 months, the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), has conducted multiple enforcement operations targeting vape shops throughout Pamlico County.
The primary objective of these investigations has been to stop the illegal sale of controlled substances being marketed and sold through local vape shops and to protect the citizens of Pamlico County.
As a result of these investigations, law enforcement has executed more than 10 search warrants at multiple vape shop locations across the county. Several businesses have been the subject of search warrants on more than three separate occasions.
Throughout these investigations, business owners were provided multiple opportunities to voluntarily comply with North Carolina law. Investigators educated owners on products that were determined to be illegal under state law and advised them to remove those products from their shelves. Despite these efforts, investigators found that several businesses continued to sell marijuana-based products and other illegal controlled substances.
To date, more than 10 individuals have been criminally charged as a result of these investigations. Additionally, investigators have seized more than 2,500 items suspected of containing illegal controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin, and other controlled substances prohibited under North Carolina law.
All seized evidence has been submitted for laboratory analysis as appropriate and will be presented through the judicial process.
One of the Sheriff’s Office’s greatest concerns is the deceptive nature of many of these products. The packaging is often designed to resemble legal consumer products while failing to accurately identify the actual controlled substances contained inside. In many cases, the labeling is misleading or incomplete, making it difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are purchasing or ingesting.
The Sheriff’s Office is also concerned that many of these products are marketed in ways that are attractive to young people, creating an increased risk that children and teenagers may obtain substances they believe to be harmless when they may, in fact, contain illegal or dangerous drugs.
Sheriff Chris Davis issued the following statement:
“Our responsibility is to protect the citizens of Pamlico County, especially our children. These products are often packaged in colorful, attractive containers that can easily appeal to young people, while the contents may contain illegal controlled substances that are not accurately disclosed on the label. That is a serious public safety concern.
We made every effort to work with these business owners before taking enforcement action. They were educated on the law and given opportunities to
remove illegal products from their stores. Unfortunately, some chose to continue violating the law, leaving us with no choice but to take enforcement action.
I hope this serves as a message that the illegal sale of narcotics in Pamlico County will not be tolerated, regardless of the type of business involved. We will continue to aggressively investigate those who choose to profit from selling illegal controlled substances. Our goal is to protect our community, safeguard our children, and hold violators accountable under the law.”
The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to working alongside its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat the illegal sale of narcotics and protect the health and safety of the community.
Anyone with information regarding the illegal sale of controlled substances is encouraged to contact the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 745-3101 or submit a tip through the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office mobile app.
