BECKLEY — Two people have been arrested following a multi-agency investigation into the sale of illicit THC products at tobacco and vape shops in Beckley.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as Abdullatif Yasser Altahami, who faces two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, and Hada Abulhakeem Taher Abdullah, who faces three counts of delivery of a controlled substance.
The investigation was launched after authorities received multiple complaints in recent months concerning the sale of THC products in Beckley. Investigators focused on both sales to underage customers and the distribution of THC products that were not legally permitted for sale.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office and Beckley Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, West Virginia Department of Agriculture and West Virginia Tax and Revenue Department.
Undercover purchases were made at several tobacco and vape businesses in Beckley as part of the investigation. Authorities then executed search warrants Sept. 30 at four locations: Beckley Smoker Inc., 1232 N. Eisenhower Drive; Adam Tobacco & Vape, 3066 Robert C. Byrd Drive; Raleigh Tobacco & More, 316 Beckley Plaza; and MacArthur Smoke Shop, 412 Beckley Crossing.
Investigators seized nearly 7,000 THC products with an estimated value of approximately $124,500. Authorities also confiscated more than $57,000 in cash and a firearm during the searches.
The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional arrests or enforcement actions may occur as the case continues.