HIALEAH, Fla. – The Hialeah police narcotics unit arrested five men Wednesday in connection with selling synthetic marijuana in three locations throughout the city.
Officers were working an undercover investigation when they arrested Giovani Cepero,25, and Ismail Bilal,40, at Alibaba Tobacco, at 403 W 29th St., Raul Acosta,30, and Younus Farhathullah,38, at Citgo Gas Station in 395 W 19th St. and Eungenio Munoz Hernandez, 47, at Sinbad Tobacco at 1570 W 43rd Place.
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The first arrest was made at Alibaba Tobacco, where a test of the product purchased showed it was a blend of cannabinoids, or synthetic marijuana, according to Hialeah police.
Bilal was arrested on a felony charge of sale of synthetic marijuana at that location.
All five men were charged with a misdemeanor as a Miami-Dade County Ordinance prohibits the sale and display of synthetic cannabinoid herbal incense.
"The use of synthetic marijuana is a growing national epidemic which sends thousands of victims to Emergency rooms every year and it’s long term consequences are still unclear," Stg. Carl Zogby wrote in a media release.
"The war against these harmful drugs is exceptionally challenging due to the fact that the manufacturers stay one step ahead of U.S. drug laws by constantly changing the chemical composition of the drug to thwart FDA classifications for prohibited substances," Zogby wrote.