Marijuana Policy Project

The North Central Narcotics Task Force confiscated thousands of items considered drug paraphernalia from three convenience stores that were served with search warrants Tuesday afternoon.

The task force office is littered with a dozen or more brown paper shopping bags stuffed with merchandise taken from two HandS Liquor stores and from Best Discount Liquor on West Williams Avenue. Boxes hold larger smoking pipes and bongs.

The HandS Liquor stores are located on South Maine Street and North Taylor Street.

Sgt. Jaime Brown of the task force said five scales, 16 "hookah" pipes, 95 bongs, 36 marijuana pipes, 15 pill grinders and hundreds of micro-baggies typically used to store small quantities of methamphetamine were taken in the search.

In addition, police seized Zig-Zag wrapping papers, pipe screens and "blunt wrappers," along with bandannas and ball caps decorated with marijuana leaves.

Brown said the water pipes and hookahs are associated with marijuana use. The pill grinders, she said, are typically used to turn pills into a fine powder so it can be snorted or injected.

She described the "blunt wrappers" as hollow tubes enhanced with flavors. Young people fill them with marijuana to add different flavors to the drug.

"The kids really like these," said Brown.

Also discovered in the stores were glass vials with tiny, silk roses inside. The roses are removed and the glass tube is used to smoke methamphetamine or cocaine, Brown said.

She said selling clothing items with marijuana leaves on them is not illegal, but the presence of these items "shows knowledge of what these other items are ultimately used for."

Part of the haul included Zig-Zag rolling papers and tobacco rollers.

"All three stores had paraphernalia. Most were centered at the cash registers. Paraphernalia was sold near the candy and gum," Brown said.

She displayed one glass bong with a $50 price tag. A smaller one sold for $30.

By Wednesday, Zig-Zag papers, blunt wrappers and tobacco rollers were back on the counter at HandS Liquor on North Taylor Street. Owner Jagraj Singh Dhillon said the items he sells at his two stores are sold throughout town.

Dhillon said the search hurt his business, which was closed for four hours. He said he would have removed items from his store if he had been asked by authorities.

"They took screens. The hardware store sells screens. The Hookahs are for tobacco," said Dhillon. "If they had tell me nicely, I would have taken it out."

The hollow, flavored tobacco tubes and Zig-Zag rolling papers can be purchased at other stores in town, said Dhillon.

Brown said other convenience stores in Fallon were canvassed, but the paraphernalia was only found at the three searched this week.

An investigation began about a month ago when fliers advertising alcohol, hookah pipes and tobacco were handed out near Churchill County High School by a man in a brown van converted to an ice cream truck. The ice cream business is owned by Rakeesh Kumar, who is also the owner of Best Discount Liquor.

According to court documents filed in connection with the search warrants, all three stores subsequently sold paraphernalia and alcohol to a 19-year-old who was working with the task force. During each purchase, the teen made it clear that the items he was seeking would be used to smoke marijuana, the document states.

It also states the teen was not asked for identification during any of six alcohol purchases.

Brown said arrest warrants will be sought for sales of drug paraphernalia, a felony, and sales of alcohol to a minor.