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Stratford resident Manuel Nieves, age 44, was arrested at his home on Thursday, March 9 in connection to the illegal sale of cannabis and hallucinogens at NYC Exotic Snax, a vape shop located in Norwalk at 117 Washington St., according to Norwalk Police.
The vape shop was one of three that were searched by the Norwalk Police Department's Special Services Division on Tuesday, March 7 after a months-long investigation into the alleged sale of illicit substances.
The other two shops searched were Vape Wise, located at 203 Liberty Square, and Sono Vape, located at 68a Washington St.
The investigation began in early January 2023 when the department was notified that the stores were selling marijuana, pills, psychedelic mushrooms, and other narcotics.
Nieves, who was the third person arrested in connection to the investigation, was taken into custody after police conducted surveillance on his Stratford home. He was arrested with no incident, police said.
Nieves is charged with the following:
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance;
- Two counts of the sale of a narcotic substance;
- Two counts of possession with intent to sell hallucinogens.
He is currently held on a $50,000 bond and will appear in court on Thursday, March 16.
The investigation into the city's vape shops is still ongoing, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Norwalk Police anonymous tip line at 203-854-3111. Tips can also be submitted by texting NORWALKPD and the message to 847411, or through the department's website.
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